The Rivalry Tournament
by Blaaaziken
Summary: With an invitation to one of the world's most competitive competitions, Ash takes part in The Rivalry Tournament held at Kanto's Indigo Plateau. With the boundaries of friendship shattered, what becomes of his long-time friends and sworn enemies?
1. The Hero Returns

The Rivalry Tournament

Ash returns from his 6 month journey to train his new pokemon, with his newly found experience, he is keen to be the best, aswell as getting the girl he's always wanted.

My first ever chapter of my first ever story, I haven't really explained too much of the plot so far, but I will make more chapters. Also contains many different shippings, which I am obviously going to keep secret for now.

Note: Some of the characters maybe OOC, but it is my first time, so be nice and remember to R&R.

Pallet Town was waiting. Ash was to come back from his 6 month journey with just him and his pokemon training to be the best. Back in Pallet Town, Brock, Max, May, Dawn, Misty, Tracey, Professor Oak, Gary and Delia were all waiting at Ash's house for the return of their hero.

"I can't believe he's coming back today", Dawn sighed as she stared through the window. "It's been way too long, I sure do miss him". May stood beside Dawn.

"I miss him too, I just can't wait 'til he gets back, think of all the stories he will have to tell and the pokemon he's met!" May said excitedly, Misty wasn't far behind them though.

"I assure you two, by the time he gets back, he will be absolutely exhausted, so we will be the last thing on his mind once he gets back". Despite the fact that this didn't sound like Ash to May and Dawn, they somehow knew that would be the case.

"What if he changed, what if he is not the kind caring Ash that we knew before". May said in a worried tone, Misty looked at her with a slightly strange look on her face, she knew that it was not like May to be pessimistic.

"I'm sure he's the kind caring Ash that we've always known, and I'm sure that we will be the first thing on his mind", Dawn said reassuringly.

**Meanwhile, just a few miles from Pallet Town…**

A raven haired boy walked along the dusty pathway with a Pikachu on his shoulder. Ash had not seen Pallet Town in 6 months which for someone of his age, is a very long time to be away from home.

"OK Pikachu, only a couple more miles and then we're home again" Ash smiled at the idea of coming back home.

"Pika-Pika" Pikachu was just as excited though, he had also not seen Pallet Town for a whole 6 months, and the thought of going back home to see all of his pokemon friends at the ranch was uncontainable.

"Just think about it Pikachu, by the time we get back, we will get a hero's welcome home. I told everyone that we would be coming back today, and my Mom told me that all of my friends will be there, I just can't wait!" Ash smiled optimistically as he began to walk a little faster

"But Pikachu… what if they changed, what if they didn't miss me and they didn't mind me going, also what if…what if they don't even remember me?" Ash's pace slowed down as his thoughts wiped the smile off his face. Pikachu shown the same emotions as Ash, as he then frowned slightly. Within the distance, houses began to take shape and group together, fields could be seen where wild pokemon lived, it only meant one thing, Pallet Town was close.

**Back at Pallet Town**

"Are you guys sure that he is coming back today?" Misty asked inquisitively. Brock, Max and Tracey all turned around simultaneously.

"Oh, hey there Misty" Tracey replied nervously, "I'm sure he said that he'll be back today, and he also said that he would be back about now". The four of them were standing outside waiting for Ash to return. Misty sighed. "Don't worry Misty, the second I see him, I'll call you right away" Tracey said reassuringly. Misty looked at Tracey and smiled.

"Thanks Tracey". The compliment put a smile on Tracey's face as Misty walked back into the house. An awkward silence entered the conversation as Tracey, Brock and Max were all looking at eachother.

"So guys", Brock was the one to break the silence, "what new pokemon do you guys think Ash is coming back with?"

"I bet he's got himself a Magmortar or…or even a Lucario", Max was enthusiastic enough to answer first.

"Wow, wouldn't it be amazing to Ash with his very own Lucario" Brock added, as he looked in the distance again.

"A Lucario would be pretty cool, I would just love to draw one" Tracey was always good at using his talents for what he enjoyed doing.

Brock laughed very slightly, "but even seeing a Lucario is rare on its own, I wonder what other rare pokemon he would've got, and I also wonder what he's been doing for the past 6 months". Tracey and Max nodded in agreement as they fell silent and looked in the distance waiting for the raven haired trainer.

**Meanwhile, in the kitchen…**

The aromatic smell of Delia's cooking overwhelmed the kitchen, as Dawn, May and Misty walked in.

"Wow, that smells delicious" Dawn, May and Misty said at the same time.

"Oh, it's nothing really", Delia trying to sound as modest as possible. Professor Oak and Gary walk in as they also compliment the food, "Wow Delia, that sure smells great, Ash should be really grateful to have such a great cook as a mom" Professor Oak noted. Delia smiled as she important to everyone there.

"I just try to get everyone through the day" she modestly exclaimed, "but I sure wonder when Ash is going to be back…" The three girls and Gary outside to the other three guys.

"I hope he's here soon, I could really do with eating some of that delicious food" May said with anticipation, Dawn was the only one to giggle at her comment, though the others gave a friendly smile.

"I guess he's running late" Gary remarked.

"As usual" Max joked, everyone laughed as they all felt that they knew Ash very well, and even known him to be late on their journey's.

Within the distance, a male figure appeared to be walking closer towards them.

"Could that be him?" Brock said rhetorically. The others began to look closely. As the male figure walked closer, a yellow Pikachu could be seen hanging on to his head smiling and looking relieved to be back. He was in everyone's sights now, his raven like hair didn't seemed to have changed, he looked barely centimetres taller from when he was last seen, his hat and blue jeans didn't change a bit. Everyone was shocked and was frozen with joy and surprise, it was Ash.

"It's…it's Ash" May said, almost as if her eyes deceived her. Delia and Professor Oak came running outside.

"Wow, is that really him, he hasn't changed a bit" Professor Oak added. Ash could be seen from a distance with a huge smile on his face that reached from ear to ear. He walked as if he had been walking tens of miles a day, his Pikachu didn't change a bit aswell.

"It's really him" Tracey said in surprise, "hey Ash! Welcome back!" He called.

Dawn, May and Misty held a tear in their eye as they all ran towards Ash. Behind them, Brock and Max smiled as they were also happy that Ash was back.

"I'm just so glad my boy is back" Delia said with a tear in her eye.

"Hey Ash, what took you so long?" Gary shouted in a joking manner.

Ash walked down the road to be greeted by three girls all hugging him at the same time. Ash blushed as he said "Hey girls, it's great to see you all", the girls only hugged him harder.

"Don't leave us again Ash" Dawn said looking up to his face with tears in her eyes as she went back to hugging his right side of his chest.

"Yeah Ash, don't leave us again" May didn't look to see Ash, but it was very clear that May misses him.

"Ash, never leave us for that long ever again" Misty said with tears in her eyes. Naturally, this made the boys uncomfortable from the distance.

"It sure is great to see Ash, but don't you think the girls are a bit… you know… over reacting?" Tracey asked.

"I know what you mean Tracey; it's always is great seeing an old friend, but none of those girls have ever reacted like this before, something must be afoot" the wise breeder exclaimed.

"We can leave it for now guys, let's just be happy that Ash is back" Max put his point across as Brock and Tracey smiled as if they completely forgot what they were talking about.

"OK girls, come on now" Ash said slightly embarrassed in front of his friends, Ash had always liked getting attention, ever since he stepped back into Pallet Town he's been getting huge amounts of it. The three girls let go as they all rubbed their tears with their hands. "Like I said girls, I'm so happy to see you all" Ash added. The three girls smiled at the compliment as they walked with Ash to his home.

"Hey Ash!" Tracey, Brock and Max said at the same time with smiles on their faces.

"Hey everyone, how have you all been?" Ash asked inquisitively

"We've been doing great, of course we did miss you though" Brock said.

"Ash, I can't wait to hear some of you experiences and new pokemon you've caught" Max enthusiastically said.

"I can't wait to tell you about some of them, and how about we do that battle that I promised you?"

"Now I really can't wait, can you battle with your new pokemon?" Max was clearly very excited about battling Ash.

"Sure why not" Ash said, he turned to Tracey, "Hey Tracey, how's all my pokemon?"

"They're doing great Ash, but they missed you more even more than Dawn, May and Misty missed you". The thoughts of why Misty, May and Dawn missed Ash were back in Brock and Tracey's thoughts.

"Well, later on today, I'm gonna go see them, and they can also meet my new pokemon" Ash said triumphantly.

"Hey Ash, where've you been?" Gary asked as he walked up to him.

"I'll tell you all later, right now though I'm really hungry". Ash really did miss Brock and his mom's cooking.

"I totally agree with Ash" May came running from behind him and hugged him from behind.

"As usual, food comes first" added Misty as everyone laughed and walked inside, everyone but Tracey. As everyone walked inside, Brock turned around and saw Tracey not moving.

"Tracey, something wrong?" Brock asked curiously, Tracey looked at him.

"There is something with Misty, May , Dawn and something to do with Ash" Tracey told him, "I just can't put my finger on it".

"Your thinking about what happened earlier aren't you?" Brock was with him on this one. "Try not to let curiosity take over you, lets just have a good time now that Ash is back. Besides, I'm sure there isn't anything wrong with the girls, they just miss him".

"If you say so Brock" Tracey put a smile on his face as him and Brock walked in the house to be met with a huge amount of food, courtesy of Delia Ketchum.

"OK everyone, enjoy" Delia said proud of her work. The table was completely full of food with variety of colours. Everyone was enjoying themselves as Pikachu, Piplup and Marill were in the other room playing. It was still daylight outside, Ash took a look and said to Max…

"So Max, do you wanna battle?" Ash asked. Max's face lit up as if he was waiting for the request all day.

"Yes! Of course! Can we do it now?" Max was obviously very excited, not only would he get to battle Ash finally, but he knew that Ash had brand new pokemon that none of them have ever seen before.

Everyone walked outside as they were all excited to see what new pokemon Ash has, aswell as what Ash had learnt over the past 6 months.

"This is a 3 on 3 battle with no time limits, Max gets the first move, begin" Brock acted as the referee for the battle.

"OK Grovyle, come on out!" Max let out his first ever pokemon. Ash was surprised how quick its evolved, never the less he was about to let out one of his brand new pokemon.

"Gro-Grovyle", the grass pokemon bringing back memories to Ash of when he had his Grovyle in Hoenn.

"Gallade, I choose you!" The tall and rather thin pokemon took its position as everyone was surprised.

"Gall-Gallade" the pokemon called its name as it looked at its opponent.

"Wow, a Gallade!" The three girls watching from the side lines talked simultaneously as they were all equally surprised on Ash capturing a Gallade. Tracey quickly grabbed his pencil and his sketchbook as he began drawing Ash's new pokemon.

"Grovyle, Leaf Blade now", the grass like pokemon illuminated its grass blades on its arms as it began running at a very quick pace towards Ash's Gallade.

"Gallade, jump high in the air and use Psycho Cut", Ash commanded his pokemon as the thin figure jumped incredibly high in the air and used its devastating attack on Grovyle.

"Grovyle, hang in there and use Leaf Blade once more", the grass pokemon regained its balance and did devastating damage to Gallade. "Of course you know Ash, Gallade doesn't have strong defence".

"Way ahead of you Max, Gallade use Swords Dance" Gallade swivelled round as swords appeared to dance around him.

"It's beautiful!" May screamed.

"OK Gallade, Ice Punch, now!" The boosted attack of swords dance causes Grovyle to be hurled across the battle field.

"Grovyle is unable to battle, Gallade wins". A smile was brought to both Ash and Max's face.

"Return Grovyle, well done my friend", Max grabbed his second pokeball, "Your Gallade is really strong Ash, but I'm afraid I'm not playing easy from now on, Slaking, go!" The huge ape-like pokemon made Gallade look very small.

"OK, Gallade Close Combat!" Gallade ran forward at an incredible speed.

"Slaking, use Punishment", with Swords Dance increasing the damage done by Punishment, the devastating attack completely knocked out Gallade.

"Gallade is unable to battle, Slaking wins", the audience cheered whilst being gob smacked at Slaking's power.

"It seems that I have been gone too long, your Slaking is really powerful, but it doesn't matter now, Gengar, Go!" The air around surrounding Gengar froze as the audience felt a strange feeling.

"Is it me or has it gone a little big colder" Misty moaned.

"Gengar is known to reduce the temperature in a certain area to quite low temperature" Tracey remarked as he turned a new page in his sketchbook.

"Nice Gengar you got there Ash, looks to me that you raised it well." Gary commented about Ash's pokemon.

"Slaking, Hammer arm!" The monstrous ape lunged at Gengar.

"Just stand and watch Gengar" Ash said relaxed, as Slaking's Hammer Arm went right through Gengar.

"OK Gengar, now use Hypnosis", the hypnotism of Gengar causes the huge ape pokemon to fall to the ground sleeping.

"Good job, now finish it with Dream Eater!" Gengar appeared to leave its body as it slices right through Slaking throwing it back.

"Slaking is unable to battle, Gengar wins!" Brock called.

"Oh man, I wanted Slaking to win, it's still really cold" Dawn followed the same thoughts as Misty.

"But it sure is strong, I don't think Ash is going to lose for a long time" Professor Oak added, acknowledging how strong that Dream Eater attack was.

"Return Slaking, you did a great job" Max said to his pokemon as he turned to Ash. "Ash, I should've known that fight type moves do not work against ghost type like Gengar, but all that is about to change, Alakazam, Go!" An Alakazam with spoons in both of his hands appeared in front of Max.

"Trust a smart guy like Max to bring out a smart pokemon like Alakazam" Dawn pointed out. She looked at Ash who had his determined look on his face. _That's my Ash, or at least I hope he will be_, she thought to herself as she turned to Misty and May.

"Gengar return, you did great, now get some rest. OK, Tyranitar come on out!" The ground shook slightly as the mighty Tyranitar made its entrance, despite the fact that it is supposed to be intimidating, Ash's Tyranitar looked very tame.

"Well, at least its warmer now" May said relieved.

"More importantly, how did Ash get a Tyranitar?" Tracey looked shocked.

"I raised it from a baby Larvitar" Ash said with pride. _That's the Ash I know, great with pokemon and bringing them up aswell_, May thought to herself as she also looked at Dawn and Misty in the instance. The large Tyranitar roared.

"Tyranitar, Stone Edge" the massive beast heaved a ton of rocks at Alakazam.

"Now Alakazam, Psychic", the stones were stopped in their path by Alakazam's incredible psychic powers as he threw them back.

"Block it Tyranitar, and use Crunch" Ash commanded his pokemon who smashed rocks that were hurled back at him.

"Teleport, now!" Alakazam seemed illusive now as it began to teleport to different places. Tyranitar was turning left and right as it could not keep up with Alakazam's fast movements.

"Concentrate Tyranitar" Tyranitar stopped and closed its eyes, after a couple of seconds, it lashed out and used a very powerful Crunch attack on Alakazam fainting it.

"Alakazam is unable to battle, Ash is the winner!" The audience cheered and clapped as did Max.

"That was incredible, Ash had taught his pokemon to be patient and to concentrate, simply amazing" Professor Oak added. "He's really used the last 6 months to its potential".

"He sure has, I've never seen a Tyranitar so tame before, and it even has the patience to calm down and concentrate, not to mention it sure is powerful!" Tracey added.

Ash walked up to Max with smiles on both their faces.

"Wow Ash, you really are amazing, your new pokemon are great!" Max said looking up to his hero. "Did you catch anymore whilst you were gone?"

Max looked at him with anticipation.

"Yeah, but just the one more, Lucario come on out!" The human like figure stood before everyone who were incredibly surprised. The pokemon looked around and smiled. "Hey Lucario, I want you to meet my friends".

"Luc", the pokemon called. Everyone was still surprised.

"I knew it! I knew he'd get a Lucario!" Max loudly bragged at Brock and Tracey, who had quickly grabbed his sketchbook once more.

"I guess it was just a lucky guess Max" Brock stated.

"That Lucario sure looks tough", Gary insisted to put his view forward.

"Yeah, its great and all, but you only caught 4 pokemon in 6 whole months?" Misty look surprised, this had wiped the smile off Ash's face as Misty's face began to look very unimpressed.

"Sorry guys, I guess I could've caught more" Ash said sheepishly whilst scratching the back of his head.

Dawn gave her funny looks. "You don't have to be sorry Ash, it's about quantity, not quality" Dawn corrected Misty as she turned to Dawn. "And trust me Ash, when it comes to quality, you and your pokemon are number one!" Dawn smiled and reassured Ash as she felt that Misty's words may have hurt him slightly.

"Thanks Dawn" the smile was back on Ash's face as Dawn giggled. Misty looked at Dawn and thought to herself _Ash you're gonna be mine, I'm sorry for what I said, but all I have to do now is stop my rivals and then we will finally be together_. She turned to May who didn't say much for a while. It was still daylight as Ash returned Lucario. Everyone went inside except for Ash and Tracey, who walked to the Professor Oak's lab together.

"Don't worry Ash, all your pokemon have been at top form, and with your new pokemon, I'm sure they will all be new friends" Tracey said happily.

"Wow thanks Tracey; you sure are a great friend". Ash looked at Tracey and smiled as Tracey looked back at him. A sudden thought crept back into Tracey's mind.

"Hey Ash, do you think that the girls may have overreacted when they saw you, almost as if they were competing against each other for you" Tracey looked at him questionably.

"I don't think they're like that, they just missed me I hope" Ash looked confused at him. "And besides, I would be able to tell if there was anything up with any of them". _Maybe, if you were less dense, but Ash, I know something is up with them, just be aware_ Tracey thought to himself.

"OK guys come on out and meet my new pokemon", Lucario, Gengar, Gallade and Tyranitar all came out and started mingling with the other pokemon. He fell silent, "Don't worry Tracey, I have noticed some change, even I've changed a bit, but if anything visible appears between the girls, then I'll know", he looked at Tracey reassuringly, who smiled back. They both turned around and went back to Ash's house.

"I don't believe it, the girl I love had cried over a boy who had been gone for just a few months", within the trees, a dark figure was standing hidden watching Ash and Tracey walk back to Ash's house. "I'll get her away from him, and then finally, she will be mine", the figure spoke to himself. "You're going to pay Ash", the figure turned away from Ash and Tracey as he walked away from them.

So who is the dark figure, and why is Tracey so obsessed about the situation and why are the girls acting this way to Ash?

Of course, there is much much much more to go, I haven't really explained the plot so incredibly well, but I all will be explained in the next chapter up soon.

Please R&R and be nice.

Enjoy and thanks for taking the time to read this.


	2. The Dilemma and the letter

**OK, the second chapter of the first story I ever wrote. I did try to add a little more character development aswell as adding to the plot, but I'm no writer, so don't be surprised to see a few grammar or spelling mistakes.**

**Also thanks for the reviews for the 1****st**** chapter, you guys are so kind **

**Enjoy the second one and remember to R&R.**

As Tracey and Ash walked back to the house, it was approaching sunset. As they opened the door, they found everyone sitting on the couch eating Delia's delicious food.

"Hey Ash, great battle earlier by the way", Max walked up to him. "I want to try out for the Kanto league soon, and with your help, I'm sure I can make it". Ash looked down at him smiling as Max is overwhelmed by his confidence.

"You don't need my help Max, you're already a top standard trainer anyway" Ash looked down at him, almost as if he was looking back in the past.

"Maybe you're right Ash, I did come top 4 in the Hoenn league anyway" Max calmly said. Ash's smile sank as if he had been outdone.

"Wow, I really have been gone for a long time haven't I" Ash said sheepishly, then a sudden thought came rushing to Ash's head. _Well, if I just beat someone who reached the semi-finals in the Hoenn league, then maybe I could win a tournament soon_, Ash smiled as his confidence came back to him. Dawn had a look at Ash and smiled.

"Well Ash, maybe that is because you have been away for a long time" Dawn giggled as she moved along the couch making space for Ash. "Ash, come and take a seat, you just have to tell us about your adventures from the last 6 months", Ash smiled as he sat down between Dawn and Brock, who was at the other side of the Ash. Everyone looked at him excitedly as they were greatly anticipating some of Ash's stories. _Well at least he isn't tired enough to go back to bed, _Dawn thought to herself.

"Well want do you guys want to hear about?" Ash wondered as he felt that he had loads of things to talk about.

"It would be nice to know why you left in the first place, I was told that you were angry with yourself, so you went out on an adventure on your own" May stated, she had an angry look, which quickly turned to a sympathetic look.

"Well 6 and a bit months ago, I came back from Sinnoh to Pallet Town with Brock and Dawn and of course Pikachu. Back then, I still didn't know what to do, I could've challenged another Battle Frontier, I could've taken up Scott's offer and became a Frontier Brain, or I could've challenged another league somewhere. But the only thing I had in my mind was losing to Tobias in the Sinnoh league. Tobias, his Darkrai and his Latios were too powerful. So I thought to myself, to be the best, you have to beat the best, and the best was Tobias, but he was too strong for me…

(Flashback)

"Sceptile, use Leaf Blade!"

"Darkrai is unable to battle, Sceptile wins!"

(End Flashback)

Everyone looked at him interested in what he was going to say, Dawn had moved herself a little closer to Ash as this easily caught the attention of May. _What is she up to?_ May thought to herself as she quickly glances at Ash who appeared to have not noticed.

"I was overwhelmed with joy when Sceptile beat Darkrai, the fact that no one has ever defeated it before, made me feel special inside that I could accomplish anything. The crowd were cheering and clapping as they had seen something that supposedly was impossible become possible. From then on, I just loved the feeling of achieving great feats, but when I lost to his Latios, I felt destroyed on the inside". Everyone kept quiet and looked at Ash sympathetically.

"You sure kept on a brave face, but even the guy that Tobias was against in the final didn't stand a chance against Tobias's Darkrai" Dawn said, she felt that her input was needed.

"I did try to keep a brave face on, but I learnt something great from that day, anything that is supposedly impossible, is possible, if you really try".

"As long as you have a Sceptile in your team" Brock added, everyone laughed at the comment as Misty began to lean closer towards Ash from the parallel couch. _What is she up to?_ Dawn thought to herself.

"But as I went back to Pallet Town, I just wanted one more chance against Tobias but then I knew I didn't stand a chance unless I tried really hard. So I set out one day, training in the different regions trying to find some new pokemon aswell as training constantly with my new pokemon and my old ones".

"So you left us because you wanted to go against Tobias again and beat him?" Tracey asked. _How typical of my Ash to be so determined_, Delia thought to herself. _Ash is so determined aswell as being kind of cute at the same time_, Dawn thought to herself. _I never met this Tobias, but Ash seems pretty confident that he is going to win, and he will do it with me by his side_, Misty thought to herself similarly. _Ash would look great by me at the Grand Festival, Top Co-ordinator and Pokemon Master, what a cute couple we would make, _May followed their thoughts as they all looked up at each other and quickly looked away. Tracey watched the whole thing, _They can't be…are they all in love with him? _Tracey looked confused.

"Ash did keep in touch with us at the lab whenever he needed pokemon" Gary said, feeling part of his success.

"I'm just hoping that I meet him again in some tournament somewhere" Ash sighed. Tracey had a look outside.

"It's getting pretty dark, we better head back to the lab" Tracey insisted. Gary, Professor Oak and Tracey all stood up.

"It was great to see you Ash, how about we here some more of those stories tomorrow" Gary smiled at Ash, who smiled right back at him.

"Same here Ash, nice to see you again" Professor Oak added.

"Hey Ash, I'll see you tomorrow" Tracey concluded, he winked at Ash as no one else seemed to notice.

"Bye everyone" The three of them said at the same time.

"See you tomorrow", everyone in the house replied, Gary, Professor Oak and Tracey all closed the door and walked back to the lab.

Everyone in the house paused for a second, but it wasn't an awkward silence, no one felt there was nothing to be said.

"OK everyone, sleeping arrangements". Delia casually said in her naturally cheerful voice.

Everyone's face turned towards her as she stood up.

"Finally, I get my own room back" Ash said cheerfully. But that cheerful face was wiped out from the following words:

"Sorry Ash, whilst you were gone, the girls slept in your room, and you could hardly expect them to sleep on the couches" Delia smiled at him convincingly. Ash's smile was taken well away from his face. Misty and May smiled as Dawn kept a neutral face. "Sorry Ash, I know you've been gone for a while, but you're a true gentleman now, and so I guess you should act like one".

"Guess you're right, I'll be fine down here anyway". Ash said lowering his head. Dawn frowned at Ash, feeling how annoyed he must be. "So, I guess me, Max and Brock sleep down here for the night" with a lifted mood.

"That's right" Delia said smiling.

"Great, it'll be just like old times then" Max said with Brock smiling at him. Ash then looked at Max smiling.

"Just like old times" Ash relaxingly exclaimed, whilst smiling.

"OK everyone, off to bed" Delia called, as Misty and May ran to Ash's room.

"Come on Dawn" Misty said. Dawn stood with a sad look on her face as she finally turned to the girls.

"OK coming" Dawn said solemnly, as she slowly walked up the stairs.

"You boys better get ready for bed" Delia said whilst walking up the stairs.

"Right away" Brock said happily, he also did feel sorry for Ash.

**Meanwhile on the way back to the lab…**

The dark blue sky appeared considerably less bright on this day. Normally a couple of wild pokemon could be seen randomly wondering around this area at this time, but not today. Gary, Professor Oak and Tracey however, didn't notice anything different about the night as they walked back to the Pallet Town pokemon lab.

"It sure is great to see Ash again" Professor Oak stated. "Oh by the way Gary, I have some brand new information about Piplup that I am willing to share with you once we get back ,maybe it will help you in Sinnoh, once you get back to the lab there. You're welcome to have a look too Tracey". Gary and Tracey's face lit up with passion.

"Sure, that will be great" they both responded whilst smiling.

"We'll see everyone again in the morning after…"Professor Oak was interrupted by his sixth sense. "Stop" he whispered quietly to Gary and Tracey. The sudden reaction of Professor Oak alerted the other two, footsteps could be heard.

"I hear it too" Gary whispered cautiously.

"Hear what?" Tracey also whispered. The three of them looked around but couldn't see a thing. A dark figure was not far from them. He was shadowed by trees that appeared to tower over the figure.

"Must've been nothing" Professor Oak carried on walking reassuringly. Gary followed him, Tracey stood still, as he could hear the sounds now, almost like footsteps. He turned around quickly and cautiously with a scared look on his face.

"I can hear the noise, footsteps, and they sound way too heavy for a pokemon that live in the area around here" Tracey said quickly, he was looking around cautiously as he felt something strange. The footsteps were getting louder and closer as the dark figure swiftly ran towards Tracey. Tracey could hear his heart beat faster, he couldn't see it, but he knew it was there, coming closer and closer after every second.

"I don't think it's anything", Gary agreed. Tracey had finally been forced to walk with them as they walk alongside a river. Tracey began to calm down as he finally picked up the pace with his walking.

"Empoleon, grab him and go!" A sudden call came out of nowhere as the steel penguin quickly grabbed Tracey and swam to the distant side of the river at incredible pace. Gary and Professor Oaked stood scared stiff for a brief second as Gary decided to intervene.

"Electrivire, grab him quickly!" Gary summoned his Electrivire as it quickly launched out its tails and grabbed Tracey, halting Empoleon in the water.

"Steel wing!" The call, once again came out of nowhere as Empoleon obeyed it. The massive wing of Empoleon hit Electrivire's tails as it quickly pulled it back.

"Help! Help!" Tracey's shouts got quieter as it was dragged further and further away from Gary and Professor Oak.

"Tracey!" Gary shouted, he turned around to Professor Oak who was still frozen with fear.

"Where did the commands come from? Where did the Empoleon come from?" Professor Oak finally said whilst cautiously looking left and right. They both be began looking left and right as they felt that they may be dragged away.

"Those footsteps…" Gary said to himself. "He has to be close, let's find him fast!" It was not like Gary to be this caring to someone, but if someone who he had known for a long time had their life in danger; it was only natural to act more mature. Gary and Professor Oak quickly ran to the bridge to cross the long river which to Gary and Professor Oak's advantage wasn't so far away.

"I'm still confused, where did those commands came from, I couldn't see anyone around us!" Professor Oak wondered as he quickly ran alongside Electrivire. Gary was just a bit further ahead of him.

"The edge of the river isn't far away now, so Tracey shouldn't be too far away." Gary shouted as he felt scared. "Tracey!" Gary had his hands by the side of his mouth to try and make is call louder. "Tracey, where are you?"

**Meanwhile, surrounded by trees at the other side of the river…**

"Breloom, use stun spore on him." The attacks were calmer as Tracey was sitting against a tree and couldn't move, he felt drowsy and tired as the stun spore began to take its effect on him. He could barely move as he began to shiver, to the left was the Empoleon that grabbed him. The dark figure was walking closer to him with a torch shining at Tracey's face. The night sky only made it seem brighter than it actually was as Tracey was able to shield his eyes from the blinding light until he was able to see again.

"Stay still, don't move" the dark figure looked at Tracey who was able to see again, but still not able to move well enough. "Don't even try and bother moving" the threatening words approached Tracey's ear. The dark figure stood in front of Tracey, who was still sitting against the tree, he had his hooded cloak on still.

"Who…who…who are you?" Tracey was scared out of his wits, he couldn't think straight as he looked at the figure. "Please don't kill me, I've never done anything wrong in my life, and I'm not a bad person, I mean it!" Tracey pleaded as he had the sudden thought of not seeing his friends again.

"I'm not going to kill you, you just have to do what I say, understand?" Tracey nodded.

"I've seen you walking with Ash, and I know what you were talking about", he lifted his hood off his head to reveal his face. He had brown hair going to one side, his pitch black eyes made him seem more intimidating. It was Kenny.

"K…Kenny" Tracey stuttered in surprise. "How could you do this to me, I thought you were gonna kill me".

"And I still might, so just shut up and accept my terms and conditions!" Kenny fiercely said.

"Terms… and conditions?" Tracey still couldn't move, but mustered the energy to question Kenny.

"I know what you were talking about, the girls are crazy about Ash, and I can see it. More importantly, Ash has three choices. Your job is to stop Ash from going after my girl Dawn" Kenny looked at him as Tracey stared back frightened aswell as confused.

"But…but I can't stop Ash, it's his choice and…" The torch was shone in the Tracey's face as he was quickly interrupted.

"But you must, if you don't… you may end up losing one of your friends…" Kenny pulled an evil grin at Tracey, who came back to having thoughts about not seeing Ash again.

"You can't do that, you can't!" Tracey objected to Kenny's request.

"And if you go against me, then you may share the same fate" Kenny had him cornered as Empoleon moved slightly closer to Tracey. "You just have to get Ash away from Dawn, by any means possible, if you fail to do that, then be prepared to accept the consequences" Kenny paused for a second. "Also, if you tell anyone about this little meeting of ours, then…then…" He couldn't finish his sentence. "Well you know what's gonna happen?" Kenny grinned sadistically as he returned his Breloom and walked with Empoleon away from Tracey._ Now the plan is set, not so long from now, Dawn will be in my arms rather than Ash's_, Kenny thought to himself whilst walking away.

_I'll never accept your deal you monster_, Tracey was still against Kenny's idea. The stun spore weakened as Tracey was able to break free from its trap; he quickly got up and headed in the opposite direction to Kenny. Tracey was still soaking wet which had made him colder, he held onto himself as he began to run quicker and quicker, whilst having thoughts in his head. _Why would I listen to that monster, Ash's choice, if he wants Dawn, he could have her_, an array of thoughts came back to Tracey's head as he slowed down. _I just hope he likes May and Misty though, I don't want Ash to be hurt._ The dilemma came to place as he finally got out of the forest and saw Gary and Professor Oak in the distance; he smiled as he ran towards them.

"Gary! Professor!" Tracey called as Gary and Professor Oak turned around. The both ran to each other.

"Tracey, are you OK, where did you go?" Professor Oak was curious aswell as relieved.

"Well, err…the Empoleon and his trainer just wanted to talk" Tracey improvised as he tried to put on a brave face. Gary and Professor Oak couldn't see through his lie as they all turned around.

"Well at least you're safe, also we better head back to the lab, it's really cold" Gary was also relieved about Tracey being safe. The three of them walked back to the Pallet Town pokemon lab as Tracey walked in wonder. _Should I tell Ash? Should I even tell Gary or Professor Oak? What if Ash really does like Dawn, Kenny will just appear out of nowhere like he did earlier_.

"Something wrong there Tracey?" Professor Oak looked at him in a curious way, Tracey turned his head very quickly at him.

"Everything is…fine" Tracey said slowly, Professor Oak and Gary had seemed to believe it as they all went back to the lab.

**Back at Ash's house…**

Ash walked up the stairs when he saw Dawn frowning and walking the opposite direction to Ash.

"Hey Dawn, is something wrong?" He asked caringly. She knew that the other girls like Ash, but also Dawn does.

"Nothing is wrong Ash" she said calmly. "Well, I'm off to bed now, so goodnight" she smiled whilst leaning forward to hug Ash. _I love you Ash_, Dawn's smile grew as she agreed with her thoughts. Ash eventually hugged her back, but his thoughts were on what Tracey said earlier. _He's right, I knew they were acting strange, I know they would change after 6 months, but not how I expected, but I do like the attention I guess, and Dawn is kind of pretty_, Ash's smile also grew at his thoughts. They both eventually let go with Ash concluding.

"Goodnight Dawn" Ash replied. Dawn walked to Ash's room where she was to be greeted with the two girls talking. _Goodnight Ash, I just feel a little sorry that we have to take your bed and your room after you've worked so hard in the last few months._

"Hey Dawn, where were you?" Misty looked at her funny as she made a space in the bed for her to crawl in.

"Nothing, just…talking to Brock". Dawn tried her best not to make the other girls jealous.

"Brock has been travelling with Ash the most, he's almost like Ash's best friend", Dawn did try a little too hard though; as she soon realised that the conversation was going nowhere. She crawled into the bed next to Misty; the three of them didn't seem to mind sharing a bed though, mostly because, it was a pretty large bed.

**Meanwhile downstairs…**

"Hey Ash, what took you so long?" Max asked questionably.

"Nothing, just talking to Dawn." Ash wasn't afraid to tell the truth, he wasn't particularly good at thinking ahead in such situations. Pikachu, Piplup and Marill were in the other room, already fast asleep.

"So Ash, can we hear more of your stories?" Brock asked.

"You guys really want to know don't you?" Ash was slightly confused. "All I really did was catch new pokemon, and train them, you guys know, just like what we always did". They smiled as they remembered the good old days.

"That's the thing Ash, it was a lot of fun doing those things, you remember when we helped people, participated in contests and even…"Brock paused which had Ash and Max confused. "Stopped by the pokemon centre to see Nurse Joy" Brock fantasized as his eyes appeared to have gotten slightly larger.

"How typical, but we went to the pokemon centre to heal our injured pokemon and to rest, not to see Nurse Joy" Max stated, the smile wiped off Brock's face as he finally stopped fantasizing. "So come on Ash, what kind of adventures did you have?" Ash took a look at the time.

"I guess I can tell you a few".

**Upstairs…**

It was fairly late.

"I'm I the only one who just can't get to sleep?" May questioned herself out loud.

"You're not the only one May" Dawn and Misty all spoke at the same time. The three of them got up as Dawn grabbed a couple of torches. They all looked around questionably.

"So, what do you guys want to do?" May asked, thoughts of earlier ago with Dawn moving closer to Ash, aswell as May hugging Ash earlier today gave Misty an idea.

"Spin the bottle?" Misty suggested, Dawn and May's face illuminated at the idea, both of them also wanted to know about the others and what they have to do with Ash.

**10 minutes later…**

"OK Dawn, truth or dare?" May looked at her trying to put her under pressure.

"Oh, that's easy, dare", she said confidentially. _ Anything but truth, _she thought to herself.

"OK dare, let me think… go downstairs and get Pikachu to thunderbolt the three of them". Dawn knew what it was like to be thunderbolted by Pikachu. "Oh, I can't do that to them, Ash should be fast asleep by now from being so tired on his journey", she said caringly, Misty looked at her despicably. Misty liked Dawn, but she didn't like it when she said anything about being nice to Ash or how hard Ash has worked. "I'll take the truth instead" Dawn smiled; she was ready to take anything that she would say.

"Hmmm…out of all the boys, including Tracey and Gary, who do you think will make the best boyfriend to you?" May had been waiting to ask that question for ages as she smiled cheekily at Dawn, who wasn't prepared for it.

"Well err…" Dawn blushed, her sapphire blue eyes widened as she felt herself go red. Misty moved in a little closer. Dawn didn't want to say that she liked Ash; she knew the others liked him, but she wanted to keep a low profile. "Well…Gary is all right, but he just doesn't appeal to me so much. Max is smart, but he maybe a bit young for me. Tracey, I like Tracey, but not that way, he is pretty cute I guess." May and Misty looked at her curiously. "Now Ash…I'll be honest, Ash is cute and everything, I just think that he could do a little better than me, and finally Brock. Brock is a great cook and funny and really can look after you, but he's a bit of a joyrider…" Dawn stopped as she realized what she said, the other two girls burst out laughing at what Dawn said, she chuckled a little as the laughter began to break down.

"So, from what I gather, you think Ash may make the best boyfriend out of all of them, right?" May was once again putting pressure on Dawn, who blushed again.

"Yes, but…what about you two, what do you think of all the boys?" Dawn turned the tides as she finally had the chance to place pressure on the other two girls. A feeling of tension was growing between them, they all wanted to say Ash, and they all knew it. "May, why don't you start it off?"

"Well…Max is my brother, so of course not. Gary is cute, but he's a pokemon researcher, and I'm not into people like that. Brock is a good cook and all, but he likes Nurse Joy". Dawn smiled at the way May said it instead of hers. "Tracey, I don't know him so well, but he does have that slight appeal, and Ash…" she paused briefly. "Well, Ash, is kind, cute generous and great with pokemon." This only made the tension in the room larger. Dawn felt a little outdone by how the way May described Ash. _I could've said that, but I just couldn't get the right words._ Dawn and Misty stared at May, who had a grin on her face. "OK, Misty, your turn".

Misty felt a little more confident now that Dawn and May both said that Ash would make a great boyfriend.

"Well, Max is too young for me. Gary, he used to be really mean to Ash, he's a good friend to him now, but I do keep remembering the past, I like him as a friend, but not as a boyfriend. Brock, he's nice, but he likes Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy. Now Ash…" She also paused briefly to try and select the right words for what she was going to say. "Ash has looked out for me ever since we met, we have been going a lot of places together, and we always looked out for each other… and he is kind of cute. Finally Tracey, we met at the Orange Islands, he is very cute and he does look after pokemon aswell as giving me my Marill, I think I'll tie him with Ash." She casually said. Dawn and May both looked at each other, Misty followed them. The awkward silence entered the room.

"So…I guess Ash, is the perfect boyfriend then…" May ended the silence as the three of them blushed, the tension between them all was unbearable, they all liked Ash, this made them all rivals to each other.

"So, who's gonna get him then? He obviously likes one of us in that special way" Misty stated, Dawn smiled as she felt she had an advantage over the others as he travelled with her last.

"Every girl for themselves then…I just hope that…" Dawn paused mid-sentence. "No matter who Ash eventually chooses, we will still be friends…"She had a worried look on her face; she didn't want to fight with some of her closest friends as they were also some of Ash's closest friends.

"Yes, of course, I would love to stay friends with you guys, no matter who Ash likes" May also agreed with May. As they both turned to Misty who was deep in thought, _well, if I lose Ash, it would be difficult to get back to normal_, she completely forgot that she said Ash and Tracey were even to her.

"Yes, no matter what, we should always stay friends" Misty smiled as she turned around. "I think we better get to bed now anyway". May and Dawn agreed as they all crawled back into bed and fell asleep almost instantly, all with thoughts about Ash.

**Downstairs…**

Ash was not asleep like Dawn predicted, instead Max, Brock and Ash were wide awake still listening to one of Ash's stories.

"…and so I through my pokeball, after 20 minutes of battling to the ghastly, and caught it". Ash had just finished off one of his stories that he was telling to Max and Brock, who both looked incredibly interested, this brought a smile to Ash's face as he felt a higher self-sense of importance. "Anyhow, it's getting kind of late, how about I tell you some more tomorrow?" Ash stated maturely. Brock and Max nodded as they both didn't say a word and closed their eyes. Ash smiled at them, he was also really tired and worn out, throughout the last 6 months; it was nothing but early mornings and late nights, whilst battling all day. It was a change for Ash who appeared to fall asleep practically seconds after they decided to go to sleep.

**Back at the lab…**

Tracey tried to keep a straight face on what had happened this day, he changed his wet clothes and quickly went straight to bed, he told Professor Oak that he was going to have a look at the new found information on Piplup tomorrow, when he's better rested.

"What to do…what to do…"Tracey spoke to himself quietly as he was stuck in a dilemma. _If I get Dawn away from Ash, Ash will think there is something wrong, if I try get one of the other girls with Ash, then they may think there is something wrong, if I don't do anything Ash's life will be on the line and so will mine_. His thoughts almost drove him to madness. _Kenny…I'm not your ball boy, if you want to get someone, do it yourself, I'm not your servant. _Tracey then remembered what would happen if he didn't obey…

(Flashback)

"But you must, if you don't… you may end up losing one of your friends…"

"And if you go against me, then you may share the same fate"

(End Flashback)

It took Tracey back to square one. _I have to do something…_

**The next morning…**

The Pallet Town sky was bright as the sunlight overwhelmed the ground; groups of Hoothoot could be seen flying out of nearby trees as the sunlight began to shine onto Ash's face. Ash fidgeted as he slowly opened his eyes to be met by sunlight, and three girls.

"Good morning Ash" they all said enthusiastically, Ash was startled, but happy to know that he his morning was off to a great start. He turned to the side to find that Max and Brock were wide awake ages ago.

"Huh, what time is it?" Ash looked confused.

"It's mid-day sleepy head" Dawn commented whilst giggling.

"Mid-day, already!" Ash couldn't believe that he slept for that long. He quickly got up and ran to the kitchen to find Brock and Max talking, beside them was Pikachu, Piplup and Marill, who seemed to get on very well. They turned to him.

"Oh, morning Ash" Brock said.

"Let me rephrase that for you: afternoon Ash" Max laughed as Ash was hardly impressed.

"Funny Max" Ash replied sarcastically.

"I'm just joking Ash, but you did sleep 'til mid-day, you must've had a great night sleep last night". Max tried to change the subject.

"Last night was bliss…I never slept so well for that long in ages" he stated fantasizing.

"You mean 6 months" Misty walked in, Ash and the rest giggled at her comment. Delia walked in.

"Everyone had a great night sleep?" She said in her cheerful voice smiling.

"We all slept great, but no-one slept better than Ash" Dawn stated as she and May walked into the kitchen.

"Pika-Pikachu" the yellow mouse pokemon smiled whilst eating some pokemon food.

"Even Pikachu had a great night sleep last night" Brock stated, you didn't need to be a genius to know that. The doorbell rang as Ash quickly ran to the door; he opened the door to find Professor Oak, Gary and Tracey smiling at him.

"Good afternoon Ash" Professor Oak said, Ash took a deep breath as he felt he didn't need reminding how long he slept for.

"Come in guys" he stated happily. Gary was holding a letter in his hand that has not been opened yet. "What you go there Gary?" Ash asked curiously.

"Nothing yet, I'll tell you later, once you get yours" he smiled at Ash, who was looking slightly confused. Ash moved on as he turned to Tracey.

"Hey Tracey, how you doing?" Ash stated happily, Ash was still unaware of what had happened to him last night. Tracey kept his brave face on.

"I'm doing great Ash, you may want to check if you have any letters. Max may get one too."

Tracey quickly changed the subject as he didn't want to tell anyone what had happened. Ash began to get more interested in this letter that Gary got.

"Oh hey guys", the three girls walked up to Professor Oak, Gary and Tracey smiling.

"Hey girls, how is everyone?" Gary asked, he didn't show that he had any feelings for the girls, he mostly thought of them as friends.

"Everyone is fine thanks. Oh by the way Ash, your mom told me to give you these" Dawn smiled as she happily gave Ash two letters; one though was addressed to Max.

"Hey Max, you've got mail." Ash called Max as he was followed by Delia, Brock and the pokemon.

"What's in the letter?" Ash was interested by it.

"Mine says it's forwarded from my Dad, it has the official pokemon league mark on it, so it must be pretty important" Max said excitedly. Gary was well ahead of them though as he opened his pokemon league marked letter and began reading:

Congratulations Gary Oak,

Due to your incredible achievement in a recent taking part in a recent league this year, you have been selected to take part in The Rivalry Tournament, which is to be held at the Indigo Plateau in the Kanto region. You will be battling against other trainers who have also achieved a high position in a recent league within the last year. The winner of this league is to be given The Rivalry Trophy, to symbolise the amazing achievements that you have overcame by battling against people of a similar standard. If you wish to take part in such an event, you must register at the Indigo Plateau stadium within the next 3 days.

Aswell as this, you will be allowed to bring 3 guests each, participants and guests will be staying in different hotels. Finally, to end the tournament, there will be a ball to honour the tournament, to which only guests and participants are invited.

Best of luck and thank you for reading this.

The Official Pokemon League.

Everyone stood frozen with an overload of excitement. The sudden rush of joy took over Max as he began tearing up his envelope to try and get the letter.

"The Rivalry Tournament, wow!" Max's eyes lit up with excitement. "We just have to go".

"I think it's a great idea, you will all finally have a chance to see how much you've learnt in the last few months, aswell as going against old rivals, it would be lots of fun". The wise breeder spoke as everyone smiled with agreement.

"So it's settled, we're all going to The Rivalry Tournament!" Delia was also excited, the three girls smiled as they all thought that they would win with them by Ash's side. By this point, Ash had only just scanned through the letter.

"OK, but hold on a minute, first of all". He turned to Gary, "when did you take part in a tournament, I thought you gave that up?" Ash asked inquisitively.

"You don't know?" Gary sounded surprised, "whilst you were taking part in the Sinnoh league, after we met in Sinnoh, I went to Johto and managed to come in the top 4 in The Silver Conference, I wanted to test some of my new pokemon that I found in Sinnoh, of course they are strong, but I wanted to see how strong". Ash stood surprised.

"Wow, well done Gary, I really did miss out on a lot of things." Ash sheepishly said whilst scratching the back of his head. "OK, so we're all off to The Indigo Plateau!" Ash punched the air with joy. _Finally, I can prove to myself and everyone that I had used the last 6 months to my potential_, he smiled as Pikachu jumped on his shoulder. "Who knows, I may end up seeing Tobias again, and this time, I'll be ready."

"I bet you will be. So I invite Tracey and my Grandpa, Ash invites Brock and his Mom and Max invites the three girls, we will of course stay that we all want rooms near each other". Gary had already planned it all out as everyone giggled unknowingly.

"Everyone get ready, we should head to the nearest boat as soon as possible, so everyone get packed and we meet back here in a couple of hours" Delia was always great at organising everyone. Everyone nodded in agreement, as Tracey felt relieved. _Kenny will never know that we've gone to The Indigo Plateau. _Tracey, Professor Oak and Gary all went back to the lab to get packed, whilst the three girls all went to Ash's room.

"So, The Indigo Plateau waits for us" Dawn said trying to stimulate conversation.

"More importantly, the last day is a ball where one of us will get to dance with Ash" Misty said what everyone was thinking excitedly.

"I think I'll look pretty good next to Ash, don't you too agree?" May could already imagine herself next to him. "Oh I just can't wait!" The other girls gave her funny.

**2 hours later…**

"So everyone packed?" Delia said as everyone was back at the house. They all nodded in agreement, Ash however noticed that Professor Oak had an extra suitcase.

"What's in the extra suitcase Professor?" Ash was curious; the answer though sank his curiosity as it was too obvious.

"All your pokemon, aswell as Gary's and Max's pokemon" everyone giggled at the comment as Ash also did so whilst feeling a little bit stupid. The three girls surrounded Ash as they all walked out the house and headed to the boat that wasn't too far away. Gary, Max and Ash held their invitations carefully with them in their pockets as they were all extremely excited about what the tournament may bring to them. In the distance though, stood Kenny, hidden by the shadow of the trees.

"The Indigo Plateau, I'll see you soon Ash, and you too Tracey." He turned away.

**OK, so there we have it, how is Tracey going to get out of his dilemma, which one of the girls will get Ash, how will they all do in The Rivalry Tournament.**

**Next Chapter coming up, please remember to R&R**

**Thanks for reading also, your comments are really encouraging **


	3. Intensive training

**Chapter 3 of my first story. The longest one so far, I'm not yet sure if they are usually going to be this long but oh well. **

**Note: I did mention Paul, Paul in this story is going to be the same Paul for pretty much all of the anime; I've made it so that he still doesn't have much respect for Ash.**

**Finally, thank you all again for your great reviews, your encouragement is what keeps me going.**

**Remember to R&R and thanks a lot **

Everyone had finally reached the boat that was to take them to The Indigo Plateau and site of The Rivalry Tournament. It was still daylight as the sun didn't show any signs of going away, the horizon could not be seen from where they were standing, but they all smiled at what the future was likely to bring to them, especially Dawn, Misty and May.

"The Indigo Plateau is just beyond the horizon, at least that's where I remember it" Ash looked into the distance, he was still excited about seeing his old friends aswell as the rivals that had proved too tough for him, thoughts of Tobias and other tough rivals came into his head._ I hope I do well, Ritchie is bound to be there, Harrison, Tyson and Morrison. Maybe even Tobias will show up._ He smiled at his thoughts, but quickly frowned again. _And maybe Paul will be there. _Ash looked to his left to find Misty, May and Dawn all looking at him smiling. "Something wrong?" Ash stood confused whilst trying to sound caring, Ash had noticed lately that the girls have taken a little more notice in him.

"Nothing, you just look really deep in thought" Dawn knew when people were deep in thought, she looked into Ash's brown eyes as she remembered last night. _Oh Ash, I will try a million times harder than the other two just to be at your side_, her eyes glazed as the sun made her sapphire blue eyes stand out considerably. _She sure does look pretty, but right now I've got to focus on this tournament_, Ash felt that he had his priorities set, but he then remembered what Tracey told him. _They are acting strange, I do enjoy the attention, but it will be nice to know what is going on_, Ash looked back at the clear blue sea. Tracey stood behind him worried again, _maybe Kenny does know about the tournament, I've got to do something just in case, Dawn seems a lot more interested in Ash than the other two girls, if Ash begins to like Dawn back, then…then… _Tracey's thoughts stopped as he thought the exact same words that Kenny told him, he had a worried look on his face as Brock, who was just beside him, looked at him.

"Something wrong Tracey, you look awfully distracted" Brock looked at him questionably.

"Yeah, he was taken away by an Empoleon" Gary intervened as Tracey looked despicably at him.

"Really, why?" Brock asked with a confused look in his face.

"Well you see…" Gary stopped halfway through his speech as he was interrupted by Tracey.

"Nothing happened! The Empoleon's trainer just wanted to talk, nothing more, nothing less!" Tracey shouted at Brock as he flinched, he didn't expect Tracey to hit him, but the look in his face was enough to even scare Brock. It fell silent as only Gary and Brock noticed Tracey's overreaction, the silence smashed as a loud noise came from the nearby boat.

"All aboard for The Indigo Plateau!" A man was standing just off the boat, as he called out to everyone nearby. Everyone's eyes lit up as they heard the call to their destination.

"OK everyone, that's us". Delia felt responsible for everyone as she led the way to the boat; everyone followed her, with May standing by Ash.

"So Ash, how are you feeling?" May walked slightly ahead of him so she could see his eyes.

"I'm feeling great; I just can't wait to begin!" Ash smiled in admiration for the future.

"Well, if you need any help training for your battles, you know who to call" May winked at him cheekily.

Ash giggled. "Funny you should say that, Misty and Dawn said the exact same thing to me earlier", he giggled again as May's face sank. _Why do they always have to be one step ahead of me? _Her thoughts ended soon as she tripped over and landed face first on the pavement. Ash quickly dropped his bag and knelt down. "May are you OK?" May turned to her right as she smiled at Ash, her brown eyes glazed. _Ash, you're so caring, I just can't imagine my world without you_. May lifted herself up as she quickly grabbed her knee.

"Oww, silly me for falling over I guess" she acted, her knee did have a minor cut on it, but nothing too serious, May used this to her advantage. "Oh Ash, could you be a gentleman and lift me to the boat". Ash looked at her sympathetically.

"I don't see why not" Ash didn't know that she was faking it as May smiled and jumped onto Ash's back. She was lighter than he thought as Ash walked carefully to the boat. Misty and Dawn watched from behind as they both looked at each other. May, who was on Ash's back, looked ahead to the boat.

"Wow, it's bigger that I thought" the last time May was on a boat was from heading to Pallet Town from Hoenn. She took advantage of being on Ash's back as she rested her head and the top of Ash's back, she smiled as she closed her eyes. "Thanks again for helping me Ash" May only thought it was kind of her to mention it once more.

"It's no problem, really May" Ash was still under the impression that May really hurt her knee. Tracey, Gary and Brock were also watching from behind.

"What is she doing?" Gary said whilst looking at May confused. "I guess Ash is a bit of a player, eh?" he looked at Tracey and Brock who had blank faces. Gary's face quickly turned blank. "Maybe not then" he quickly changed his mind.

May was still on Ash's back as they walked towards the boat.

"Hey, May, about your offer earlier, shouldn't you be helping Max to battle instead of me?" Ash questioned her as May's face went red and her eyes widely opened again, fortunately for her, no one could see her face. "He is your brother after all".

"Well…err…"May tried to think fast, she didn't want to reveal the fact that she wanted to spend more time with Ash. "Well, Max doesn't appreciate my battling skills like you do, and I find that you and me make a great team" May was proud of her improvisation as she smiled again.

"We sure do" Ash also smiled. Dawn and Misty looked at May from behind in disgust.

"I don't know about you Dawn, but I think that she is…you know…getting a little closer to Ash" Misty looked at Dawn as she nodded in agreement.

"True, but I'll be honest" she paused for a second as Misty looked at her more seriously.

"I also like Ash, but I'm not going to make him for in love with me, I just want him to fall in love with me naturally, not by trying too hard, like May's doing" Dawn's tone questioned Misty. "If I try too hard, then maybe I'll only be too disappointed if he says no to me" Dawn still kept in her mind the possibility that Ash may not pick her, but she deemed it as being highly unlikely.

"So…you're pulling out?" Misty smiled.

"No, of course not, I love Ash, I'm just not going to try too hard in case I get too disappointed".

"Oh, ok" Misty was intrigued by Dawn's idea, but Misty believed that Ash pretty much has no choice but to go with her.

"OK, here we are. May, you don't suppose you can walk the rest of the way?" Ash slowly let down as she pretty much had no choice but to walk.

"I'll be fine, thank you again Ash" May thanked him once more as everyone grabbed their tickets.

Everyone approached the boat as they shown their tickets to the man at the boat and walked on. The boat looked huge on the outside, but only bigger when actually on it.

"Wow, I've never been on a boat this big" Ash had been on lots of boats in his time, to different regions or islands but his hazy memory only remembers the previous boats being a lot smaller. The boat they were on had everything they needed, plus more. There were several battling areas, aswell as several pools, a restaurant and a pokemon centre.

"OK, everyone to their rooms" Delia said as her group spilt into different directions to their rooms. The three girls were staying in the same room, Gary, Tracey and Max were in another and Delia and Professor Oak were in the other room, which left Brock and Ash sharing a room.

"So Brock, here's our room" Ash informed, he tried to begin a conversation but it wasn't working so well. He's been travelling with Brock on almost all of his journeys; they pretty much had talked about everything. Ash opened the door to find two bunk beds at either both sides of the room, it wasn't too big, but there was plenty of space in it. In the corner was a TV, aswell as the floor being carpeted, overall, Brock and Ash were happy with their room.

"Not too bad, it's a million times better than sleeping in a field in tents again" Brock stated as he put his bag on one of the beds. Ash placed his bag on one of the other beds.

"I actually found it quite fun sleeping in fields in the tents" Ash smiled. "Anyway, how about we get the rest of them and get some practice for the tournament done" Ash turned around to see Brock smiling. _You just can't wait to get started can you, _Brock remembered the old times when he was travelling with Ash, Brock was aware of Ash's determination and willpower especially when it came to battles.

"Sounds great, let's go then" Brock allowed Ash to go first as they walked around the ship to the room with Tracey, Gary and Max.

**Meanwhile in another room…**

Misty, Dawn and May were placing their bags on their beds, the room was surrounding with silence and tension as none of the girls looked at each other. May had an evil smile on her face that Misty and Dawn were only just able to notice.

"What was that for?" Misty didn't look at May but May was able to sense the anger.

"What was what for?" May replied innocently.

"I think you know what for, your knee wasn't hurt, it was barely even scratched!" Misty looked at May angrily, as if she had been betrayed by one of her closest friends.

"For your information, I did hurt my knee, if Ash didn't like me, he wouldn't have picked me up, would he?" May fought back at her.

"I bet it was just out of pity and kindness" Misty said sneakily, they both looked at each other angrily, as if they had both stabbed each other's backs.

"Girls, please!" Dawn decided to intervene, she felt benevolent as she commanded the girls to stop fighting.

"You do remember, back in Pallet Town, what we all said", memories of what they all said in Pallet Town came back to them. "We all said that we will stay as friends, no matter who Ash picked, you two really are setting a great example of friends now aren't you?" Dawn's words spoke sense to Misty and May as they both looked at each other with sorry looks on their faces.

"I guess you're right, sorry May" Misty apologised kindly to May.

"I'm sorry too Misty" May apologised back, they then exchanged a friendly hug. _What have I become? Ash would never like me if I were like this to all his friends, _Misty's thoughts set her straight as May began to think the same thing, _Why am I acting like this? Ash would want someone caring and kind, especially to his other friends._ Dawn smiled with pride as she thought to herself, _if only Ash could see me now…._Dawn looking in the mirror at her blue hair as she began moving strands of hair around.

"You know guys, if Ash was to pick only one of us, what would the other two do?" Dawn's question surprised Misty and May as they didn't really think about them losing.

"Well, that's not going to happen, but even if it does, I'll move on to a different guy. I always have good looking guys coming down to my gym anyway" Misty bragged, but really, she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she lost Ash.

"Hmm, I never really thought about it, but I had loads of boys after me on my journeys with Ash. I just said no to them all, because I love Ash so much" May followed Misty's route and exaggerated a bit. This did intimidate Dawn a little as she had nowhere near as many boys after her than those two claimed. Knocking noises came from the door.

"Who is it?" Dawn called as the three girls looked at the door.

"It's me, Ash" Ash was standing outside; Brock had went to find Max, Gary and Tracey. The three girls all rushed quickly to the door, all three of theme looking in the mirror on the way. The door opened as Ash stood smiling, for once without his hat and Pikachu on his shoulder. The three girls stood at the door smiling with their largest grins.

"Hi Ash" the girls all spoke simultaneously as the beamed at their future prize.

"Hey girls, we're all off to go practice for the tournament, you all wanna help?" Ash looked at May particularly as the girls had briefly forgotten the entire point of going on this journey.

"Of course!" The girls all spoke at the same time again, Ash smiled again as he began walking. The three girls all tried to walk beside him, but the outcome was Dawn being forced to walk behind Ash.

"Hey, Ash" Ash turned to the right to find Brock with Delia, Professor Oak, Gary, Max and Tracey.

"Hey guys, we all up for some practice then?" Ash enthusiastically said, he obviously knew the answer though.

"Of course, let's go" Max almost exploded with excitement as everyone started to walk to the battling areas that were located at different areas of the boat. They then all split up to go to the different battle areas. Delia and Professor Oak went with Max, Brock went with Gary to practice, which left Ash with the three girls and Tracey.

Within a few minutes, they arrived at the battling area, Tracey, Misty, Dawn and May took a seat on the side lines.

"OK, who wants to help me, practicing of course" Ash looked at the side lines. As expected, three hands rose in the air, Tracey was slightly worried of Kenny, and if he might just show up at any moment. Ash looked worryingly at Tracey as he tried to make him feel better.

"Hey Tracey, why don't you battle me, for old times' sake?" Ash didn't want any of the girls to help him as he didn't want to have to pick favourites when it comes to battling. Tracey put on a brave face as if nothing is wrong.

"Errr…I'm fine Ash, I'm not much of an opponent anyway, why don't you pick one of the girls instead?" The three girls beamed as they felt that they still had a chance.

"Suit yourself, ermm…would you battle me…" the girls waited for Ash's answer. _Please not Dawn, just not Dawn_, Tracey thought to himself as his past came back to haunt him. Ash never did want to pick favourites for battling but he was forced to.

"Dawn" Ash finalized his sentence. Dawn's face illuminated, as Tracey's face sank. May and Misty were gobsmacked by the choice.

"Thank you Ash, I'll make it a good battle, I promise" Dawn jumped up smiling, her sapphire blue eyes shone at Ash as he couldn't stop looking at her. _Come on Ash, the tournament is a 2 days away, concentrate, don't get distracted, you've worked too hard for this_, Ash was sent back to reality as Dawn walked to the opposite end of the battle field. _But she sure is pretty…_ Ash smacked himself on the head which caught the attention of Misty.

"Why did you just hit yourself Ash?" Misty had a hint of sadness in her voice after not being picked.

"Errm…I forgot something" Tracey looked at Ash in a way that only said: That is a terrible excuse, Misty and May did the same, but they all let it pass.

May looked around, "Hey Ash, where's Pikachu and the rest?"

"Oh, there with Brock right now, I thought that Pikachu could do with some more rest after 6 months" Ash smiled as she looked at May. _Can you blame him really? Wanting to be the best only makes him more determined_, May's thoughts echoed in her mind.

"Ash, if you need a referee, I'll take the job" Tracey put himself forward; he didn't have his sketchbook on him for once, which meant all he could do it watch or act as referee.

"Sure Tracey, that'll be great" Ash accepted happily.

"OK, this is a 3 vs 3 battle with no time limits, ladies first so Dawn gets the first move, begin!" Tracey signalled the call to begin.

"OK, Quilava come on out!" Dawn called out her Quilava that she received from her friend Lyra back in Sinnoh.

"Staraptor, Go!" Ash had summoned his Sinnoh friend, Staraptor's large wingspan intimidated Quilava, its beak looks sharper than it ever was.

"Wow, Ash really has made Staraptor look tough over the last 6 months." Misty acknowledged.

"Yeah, the way it spreads its wings is truly remarkable" Tracey added.

"OK Quilava, use Swift!"

"Quil-lava" Dawn told her pokemon as what seemed to be millions of stars appeared heading straight to Staraptor.

"Dodge and use Aerial Ace!"

"Raptorrr!" Staraptor flies high in the air as the millions of stars miss, Staraptor quickly gains speed as it shoots itself towards Quilava. "Quick, use Flame Wheel" The pokemon quickly obliged as Quilava crawled itself up and covered itself in flames as the giant bird strikes with Aerial Ace causing damage on Staraptor aswell from the Flame Wheel.

"That was very smart Dawn, but I'm afraid it's not going to be so simple. Staraptor, use Brave Bird!"

"Starrr!" The large bird once again flies high in the air as it plummets to the ground at incredible speed.

"Quilava, use Smoke Screen and get out of there!" Dawn panicked as her pokemon unleashed a thick black smoke that hid Quilava and Staraptor from their respective trainers. Time passes as the smoke is beginning to clear. As the air clears up, upon the battle field lay Quilava fainted and Staraptor still standing.

"Quilava is unable to battle, Staraptor wins!"

"Yes! Well done Staraptor!" Ash congratulated his pokemon as Dawn returned hers.

"I guess I didn't call the command quick enough, sorry Quilava, you battled very well" Dawn frowned as she grabbed her second pokeball.

"Mamoswine, go!" Her mammoth of a pokemon appeared in front of her as Ash had a worried look on his face.

"Dawn should do well in this, ice type moves should be a challenge for Staraptor" said May.

"Mamoswine, Ice Shard!" Dawn sticks to her pokemon's ice type move as Mamoswine summons ice shards that are hurled in the direction of Staraptor.

"Quick Staraptor, dodge!" Ash's pokemon was too slow as the ice shard hits Staraptor perfectly forcing it to the ground.

"Come on Staraptor, get up and use Aerial Ace once more!" Staraptor only just makes it up as it once again shoots itself into Mamoswine.

"Mamoswine, when I say so, use Ice Shard!" Dawn waits as Staraptor approaches.

"Now!" Inches away from striking Mamoswine, the Ice shard takes down Staraptor as it faints.

"Staraptor!" Ash calls to see if his pokemon can hear him.

"Staraptor is unable to battle, Mamoswine is the winner."

"Well done Mamoswine!"

"Mammooo!"

"Return Staraptor, you did amazing" Ash thanks his pokemon for doing so well as he retrieves his second pokemon.

"What's wrong Ash, think you're gonna forfeit?" Dawn teases Ash as he smiles back at her.

"We're just getting started. Heracross, I choose you!"

"Herraa-cross" The bug type pokemon stands strong after months of training with Ash.

"Wow, Ash's Heracross sure also looks powerful" Tracey said admiringly. "If only I had my sketchbook…"

"Heracross, use Horn attack on Mamoswine" The large bug pokemon hurls itself towards Mamoswine at an incredible speed, the attack crashes into Mamoswine as Dawn was too slow to command Mamoswine to do anything.

"OK Heracross, now use Megahorn" Heracross's horn glows as it once again crashes into Mamoswine before Dawn can make a move.

"Mamoswine is unable to battle, Heracross wins."

"Great job Heracross!"

"Heeerraa".

"Why didn't Dawn call out an attack for Mamoswine to make?" Misty was confused aswell as May.

"Hey Dawn, what happened?" Ash called from across the battle field questionably.

"I…I don't know, I must've panicked and was too slow." Dawn frowned as she lowered her head. "Sorry Mamoswine. But that's all about to change, Togekiss come on out!" The elegance of Togekiss puts a smile on Ash's face as he remembers the late Sinnoh days.

"Togekiiiiss"

"Be careful Heracross, Togekiss has the type advantage. Now, use Hyper Beam!" The bug type pokemon got ready to release a powerful beam.

"OK Togekiss, use Aura sphere!" The flying pokemon charged a beam that unleashed itself as it crashes into Heracross's Hyper Beam causing a large explosion.

"Togekiss, quickly whilst Heracross can't attack, use Air Slash!" Within the thick smoke caused by the explosion, Togekiss floated towards Heracross slicing it with Togekiss's wing. "Great job Togekiss!"

"Heracross, are you OK?" Ash was once again caring for his pokemon; he didn't expect Heracross to lightly take a super effective move such as Air Slash. As the smoke clears, both Togekiss and Heracross are visible and standing strong. "Great, well done Heracross, now use Megahorn!" Heracross moved towards Togekiss with its illuminating horn.

"Togekiss, fly up high and use Sky Attack!" Dawn smiled as she knew how effective it would be against Heracross, despite this though, the impact made with Megahorn and Sky Attack caused a massive explosion. Seconds passed as the winner was still unknown, the smoke began to clear as both Togekiss and Heracross lay on the battle field fainted.

"Both Heracross and Togekiss are unable to battle, Ash is the winner!" Tracey called as May and Misty cheered on the sidelines.

"Return Heracross, I'm very proud of you" Ash smiled at his pokemon as he looked up to see Dawn returning her Togekiss.

"You did really well Togekiss, great battle" Dawn also smiled as she returned her pokemon. Ash and Dawn met eyes as they both walked towards the middle of the field.

"Great battle Dawn, you've really got a lot better since I last battled you" Ash congratulated Dawn.

"Thanks Ash, but I'm nowhere near as good as you" they both shook hands as they walked to the sidelines to Misty, May and Tracey.

"Great battle Ash" Misty and May also congratulated Ash whilst looking in his eyes. They both hardly noticed Dawn.

"Thanks, but I couldn't have won without my amazing pokemon" he grinned, proud of himself for raising all of his pokemon to an amazing standard.

"Yeah, you must've trained all your pokemon really well whilst you were gone" Tracey added. "I know you're going to do well in the upcoming tournament." Ash beamed as he remembered the opponents he is likely to face, Tracey's encouragement made Ash think more deeply about what his tactics are.

"Thanks Tracey, I think I'll retire for the day, I've got to work out some tactics". Ash was still unaware of who is going to show up; just that he knew that they were going to be tough.

"I'll help" the three girls wanted to spend more time with Ash as they all spoke simultaneously.

"I think I'll be fine, how about you go check up on Gary and Max?" The girls felt shot down, but they understood that Ash needs some time alone to figure out a plan.

"OK, bye Ash" Ash walked off as the three girls were left with Tracey.

"Well, I'm going to get my sketchbook and check out Gary and Brock" Tracey felt missing without his sketchbook as he went to go get it. Misty followed.

"I'm right behind you Tracey" Misty smiled as she quickly caught up with Tracey leaving Dawn and May.

"So, you wanna see your brother Max?" She thought that Max could do with some company.

"Sure lets head there, just one thing though…" May frowned. "Why did Ash pick you instead of me or even Misty?" Dawn had a hidden smile on her face, _Because he loves me the most!_

"Errmm…Maybe because I've been travelling with him lately and I know his battle style, he probably wanted to go against someone who knew what he was going to do" Dawn improvised as she really thought that Ash loves her the most. May was still frowning.

"I still love him, but he never picks me for battling or anything like that." May solemnly said. "You don't suppose he thinks that I'm not challenging enough to go against". Dawn felt sorry for May, she knew that May had been travelling with Ash for a long time, but she also knew that May was one of Ash's close of friends.

"Of course not, when I went against you in the Wallace Cup, I knew that you were a powerful trainer, but not as powerful as I imagined you would be, Ash would battle with you soon anyway" Dawn tried her best to cheer up May as it didn't seem to work. "I tell you what, I'll have a talk with Ash, and I'll get him to battle you, what do you say?" May's face lit up, _Yes! She fell for it! Now's my chance to get Ash for myself_! Dawn was not aware of May's intentions, but she was a good enough actor to fool Dawn.

"Wow Dawn, thanks" she embraced her with a friendly hug as they both walked off to see Max.

**Back with Tracey and Misty…**

"OK, I'm just off to get my sketchbook, and then I'll meet you where Gary and Brock are training" Tracey looked at Misty's eyes for a couple of seconds as he slowly turned to his left to head to his room. Misty soon went right to go to where Gary and Brock are.

As Tracey walked out of his room with his sketchbook, he began heading left to where Brock and Gary are when something caught his eye.

"Hey there Tracey" the voice came from behind him as Tracey stood still. The air in the room began to chill as the voice that Tracey wasn't expecting called out his name.

"Kenny…what are you doing here?" Tracey still had his back to him as he refused to even look at him.

"I was just wondering why Ash and Dawn were getting along so well on the battle field!" Kenny spoke fiercer as the sentence went on.

"That's not my problem Kenny, you're just too useless yourself a girl!" Tracey fought back, he never wanted to accept Kenny's deal, but was always scared on what would happen if he didn't.

"I'm afraid you have no choice, because, you know what will happen if you don't" Kenny walked up to him slowly as Tracey turned around. "He dies…you wouldn't want one of your best friends to die would you? And don't you just want to see your friends faces when someone tells them it was your fault that Ash mysteriously died?" Kenny sadistically smiled, the evil in his eyes were worse than before. Tracey stood his ground as he looked at Kenny emotionless but secretly destroyed on the inside.

"If you even touch Ash, then…then…" Tracey was a peaceful person, but listening to Kenny torture him like this drove him to boundaries.

"Then…then…then what?" Kenny mimicked Tracey patronisingly. "You can't do anything to me, you're useless." Kenny's words echoed in Tracey's mind. _You're useless… You're useless… You're useless…_ "And yes, I am going to be at The Indigo Plateau, and more importantly, I'm going to there at the dance, with Dawn, so you better stop Ash and Dawn from getting too close or…" He paused again. "Well, you know what's going to happen." The same words that Kenny told him back in Pallet Town still haunted Tracey. "You have until the final to get Ash off Dawn, and don't think I won't be there, because I will be there every second of it" Kenny walked off in the opposite direction as Tracey stood in fear._ He's here! How did he find me?_ _I have to do something, tell Ash, tell Dawn or even Brock or just someone?_ Tracey tried to reason with himself, _I can't just isolate Dawn from Ash or Ash from Dawn, especially if Dawn loves Ash, I can't just openly say that Ash needs to stay away from Dawn. It should be up to them two, not Kenny_. He was frustrated at himself for even getting mixed up in it. _I have to act soon_; he ended his thoughts as he began walking with his sketchbook to Misty, Gary and Brock.

**Back with Max, Delia and Professor Oak**…

"Great battle, Max" Professor Oak stated "no doubt you are going to get very far in this tournament". Max grinned as his hero supported him.

"Wow, thanks Professor that really means a lot to me!" Max called out from across the battlefield. May and Dawn walked in just as Max finished his battle with Professor Oak.

"Hey guys, how's the training getting on?" May smiled at her younger brother.

"It's going great, I've still got to get my head around tactics though, but I can handle that" Max's glasses shone. "How did Ash's training get on?" Max was curious, he didn't know Ash's battle style so well, but any information was good enough in case they ended up battling eachother.

"Me and Ash battled, and of course, Ash won" May and Dawn both sighed dreamily. "He's gone to his room to work out some tactics now". Delia looked surprised.

"But he doesn't know who he's against yet, or who is going to be there" Delia looked from the sidelines at May and Dawn.

"He probably just wants to imagine some scenarios when battling; it's not normally like Ash to do things the night before" Professor Oak stated. "Max, maybe you should do the same, battling maybe about one's pokemon, but it's also about the trainer's intellect."

"If you think it's best for me professor" Max smiled as he walked to his room to go figure out some tactics. Professor Oak also smiled.

"Well, I think I better go make a call to a friend." Professor Oak said as he walked in the same direction as Max, which left May and Dawn with Delia.

"Hey girls, I need to talk to you both" the girls were worried at what Delia was likely to say. Despite this, they both walked towards her and took a seat either side of her. "I noticed that both of you and Misty have been acting rather strangely lately, is there something you need to tell me?" Delia looked at them in a strange way, she wasn't certain on what was wrong with them, only that there was something. May and Dawn blushed as they both looked away to hide their red faces.

"Nothing is wrong" May said as her face was still turned away.

"I'm fine too" Dawn slowly turned her head back as her face was beginning to turn back to a normal colour. Delia looked suspiciously at the two girls.

"Oh well, must be just me" she said whilst walking away from them. Dawn and May looked at each other.

"Do you think she knows?" Dawn asked May.

"I sure hope not, more people knowing would just make everything awkward" May looked worried. They both looked worried. "Maybe more people, Brock and Tracey for example, may just think something is up." The last thing any of the girls want, apart from not being with Ash, is more people knowing about their situation.

**Gary's training with Brock, Pikachu, Piplup and Marill…**

"Wow Gary, your Electrivire and Blastoise are really tough" Brock's knowledge makes every positive comment something to be proud of. "Anyone will be lucky to even stand a chance against you."

"Thanks Brock, that means a lot" Gary replied. Just behind him was Misty.

"Hey guys, how's the intensive training?" Misty said whilst smiling.

"It's going great, I don't think it could be going any better" Gary stated he looked at the pokemon on the sideline which caught the eye of Misty as she began walking over there.

"Hey guys, how are you all?" Misty knelt down to get to the pokemon heights.

"Pikapi".

"Pip-lup"

"Mariiill" the three pokemon stood up as they all smiled at the same time.

"You guys are all so cute", Misty smiled back at them, Tracey then walked in with a worried look on his face.

"Hey Tracey, you look a little down, something wrong?" Misty turned towards him, as did Gary and Brock.

"Hey guys, everything is fine" Tracey calmly replied, he didn't want to share is problems about Kenny to the rest of them. "How did the training go?" He quickly changed the subject.

"It went great; Gary sure will be a formidable opponent." Brock smiled as he kindly talked about his battle with Gary. The sunset sky shone on the water, groups of Wingull could be seen flying around the ship.

"If Wingull are around, then that must mean we're there" Tracey noted.

"Wow, already, that sure was fast" Gary noted as the four of them all ran to the edge of the boat. Not far in the distance was land, groups of buildings could be seen from the boat aswell as some hills beginning to take focus.

"The Indigo Plateau and site of The Rivalry Tournament" Brock remembered the many times that they arrived at The Indigo Plateau. Ash, Max, Delia, Dawn and Professor Oak appeared as they all admired the sunset scenery.

"Wow, doesn't time fly when you're having fun" Ash smiled as he looked at Dawn, this caught the attention of Tracey, _come on Ash, keep it together_.

"So everyone, the first thing we do head to our hotel rooms while Ash, Gary and Max all get registered for the tournament" Delia said cheerfully.

As the boat hit land, everyone got off smiling once again at the future, The Indigo Plateau and the rest of the smaller stadiums were right next to both of the hotels, which was very convenient. The three boys went to get registered for the tournament as the tournament begins tomorrow.

**At the pokemon centre…**

Gary, Max and Ash walked inside the pokemon centre to find it crammed with trainers from all different regions around the world.

"Wow, this tournament really is a big thing, I surprised I've never heard of it 'til just a few days ago" Max said. They all gazed at the large number of trainers and their pokemon, at the end of the room was Nurse Joy behind the counter, the three of them approached her.

"Hi, the three of us are willing to compete in The Rivalry Tournament" Ash spoke as Max and Gary stood either side of him.

"Hi, do you have your invitations and your trainer ID's?" Nurse Joy replied with her naturally cheerful voice as the three boys all shown their trainer ID's and their invitations to the tournament. "OK, all set. You will need to report to the main stadium to find out who you would be up against tomorrow at 2 o'clock, from then on it begins. The Rivalry Tournament is a knockout tournament consisting of 64 of the world's best trainers, if you lose one battle, you're out, but you will be still invited to the tournament ball at the end on the final day of the tournament." Nurse Joy kindly informed the boys, "it will be explained in more depth tomorrow, now you three better get some rest as you will face your first battle tomorrow."

"Great, thanks Nurse Joy!" The three boys smiled as they walked out of the pokemon centre just before it turned dark.

"Well guys, I think we better head to the guests hotels to check on everyone else, then head to our hotels" Ash stated, he wanted to see all of his friends before the end of the day.

"Great idea" Gary and Max agreed as they walked towards the hotel, not so far behind them though, was Kenny though.

"So Ash, I see what you're doing, but nothing is going to work, Dawn will be at my side soon or you won't be alive to even see what happened next." Kenny spoke to himself. "You better not let me down Tracey, or else".

**So, will Kenny's fiercer threats have more of an effect on Tracey, who out of the girls will finally get Ash and what does The Rivalry Tournament have in store for Ash, Gary and Max?**

**R&R please, I don't even mind if it's a short comment. Once again, I am no writer, so don't be surprised to find some embarrassing grammatical errors or spelling mistakes etc.**

**Next chapter is coming up, but I'm not sure when it's going to be because I have school in the way and stuff, but when I'm free, I'm writing the next chapter.**

**Thanks for taking the time to read this, it is very much appreciated **


	4. Unexpected events

**Sorry about taking so long for this one, don't you just hate biology.**

**Anyway, I didn't really explain much in this chapter, but I had to write about something.**

**I am no writer, so don't expect so see perfect grammar and spelling, and always remember to R&R**

**Thanks a lot for the previous reviews aswell **

It was night as Ash, Gary and Max walked to the guest's hotel where everyone else was staying.

"You two both excited about tomorrow then?" Gary started a conversation that he knew would appeal to Max and Ash.

"Yes of course, I just can't wait to begin my first battle!" Ash was over the top with excitement.

"Yeah, I'm really excited too actually; this is going to be the second major tournament I've ever competed in." Max was a surprisingly successful trainer for his age, of course, this worried Ash and Gary, who were not as good as Max when they were his age.

"OK, this is it" the three of them approached the hotel where the guests were staying, as they looked up to find the gigantic building.

"Wow, this big?" Max's small size made the hotel look even larger.

"Well, I guess there are a lot of guests" Ash said sheepishly.

"Come on guys, I don't want to have to go to our hotel when its pitch black outside" Gary warned them as they walked inside.

**Meanwhile, in the girls room…**

The girls were a little more talkative than last time when they were in a room, mostly because they were finally at The Indigo Plateau.

"So, the big tournament begins tomorrow, I can't wait!" Dawn excitedly said whilst unpacking. Misty and May were just as excited, but May more so.

"Yeah, tomorrow's gonna be great, we finally get to see Ash battling properly, and with some old friends" Misty stated, she took a moment to remember Harrison and Ritchie and how Ash was unable to beat them. "No doubt Ash, Gary and Max will find it tough" she said worried.

"They'll be fine, after all, Ash is bound to win the tournament" May changed the subject unknowingly. "And then there's the dance on the last day, where Ash will dance with me, all night, 'til the sun rises again" May said dreamily.

"I'll think you'll find out soon enough that it will be me" Dawn corrected her. Knocking sounds came from the door.

"Coming!" May said as the three girls all went to the door whilst looking in the mirror on the way. As the door opened, they once again found Ash.

"Hey girls, how are you all?" Ash smiled at them, he did look a little bit tired though.

"We're great Ash, did you get yourself registered?" The three girls all looked at him smiling as their eyes began to sparkle.

"Errr…well err…"Ash was distracted by the sparkling eyes as he soon remembered the question. "Yes of course, me, Gary and Max all registered. Nurse Joy said that we should be at the main stadium for the opening ceremony at two o'clock".

"OK, we'll be there" The girls all spoke simultaneously.

"Great, I'll see you there tomorrow then" Ash turned around as he began walking to his hotel.

"Wait Ash…" May called out as he turned around. "Errrm…I was just wondering…who do you think you are going to take to the dance on the last day?" May asked slowly as the three girls all blushed greatly.

"Errr…well, I haven't really thought about it, but I'm definitely not going alone" Ash smiled as he walked off again. "Cya". The three girls retreated to their rooms still blushing, whilst secretly being thankful of May for asking what none of them would've had the guts to ask.

"Wow, that means he will pick one of us" Dawn said excitedly, her heart began to beat faster.

"I know, wow, I just can't wait!" Misty also said excitedly. _OK, from here to the final, its impressing Ash all the way_, Misty's thoughts sent her heart pounding. _After me and Ash have a battle, it will be me and him at that dance together_ in each other's arms, it was visible that May's fantasy was a lot better as she let out a small tear as her eyes sparkled. _And on the final day of the tournament, Ash tells me that he loves me and then we go to the dance together _Dawn also let out a tear as she overflowed with excitement. None of the girls thought they were going to lose Ash, they were all too confident.

**Ash, Gary and Max…**

"So how was Brock and Tracey?" Ash pointed the question at Gary as the three of them walked in the dark to the trainer's hotel with only street lights guiding their way.

"They're doing great, Tracey still doesn't look so great, I think there's something wrong with him" Max replied in a worried tone.

"I'm sure he's fine, did you both say that we needed to be at the main stadium by two o'clock?" Ash reassured Max.

"Yeah of course, I just can't wait 'til tomorrow, and our first battle" Gary beamed in excitement, Gary was not usually one to show is excitement out loud, but this was only an exception.

"Yeah, straight after the opening ceremony, I'm going to go pick my team and then relax 'til the battle?" Ash stated as Max and Gary looked at him in a confused way.

"Relax did you say?" Gary asked inquisitively as everyone stopped walking, they weren't far from the hotel.

"Yeah, I'm going to relax 'til the battle, what's strange about that?" Ash was just as confused as Gary and Max.

"Ash, everyone made it into this tournament because they are the best of the best. Which means everyone here is at fairly equal level, in my opinion; you won't have time to relax as the competition will be tough" Max informed as they started walking again.

"I guess you're right, it's not going to be like the Sinnoh league or anything like that, everyone will be good and no one will be a pushover" Ash stood corrected. "But I'm still gonna win!" His modest side fell to pieces as Gary and Max stood there laughing.

"If you say so Ash, but you gotta be me first, and for that matter Max will be a tough opponent aswell" Gary said.

The night was at its peak as the three boys reached the hotel that they were staying at. There was a light on in the reception as some trainers were seen lounging about in the lobby, there was a man behind the counter, which Gary, Ash and Max approached.

"Hi, we're participants at The Rivalry Tournament and we want to check into our rooms" Ash tried to speak formally to the man as Gary, Ash and Max took out their ID's and their invitation.

"OK, you boys are all set. Here are your keys". The man handed them three different keys. "Remember, you all need to be at the main stadium at 2:00. There you will be told who you are against in the first round, which will also take place on the same day, obviously more information will be told to you when you're there, for now, you better get some sleep, it's fairly late".

"OK, thanks" Ash, Gary and Max said whilst walking off to their rooms. Ash, Gary and Max all had separate rooms in a row; they all stood outside their doors as they each said goodnight to each other. Ash walked in smiling in anticipation for tomorrow with Pikachu on his shoulder with just as large a grin.

"Well Pikachu, we're finally here. The tournament begins tomorrow so we better get some rest".

"Pika-Pika" Pikachu nodded in agreement as he placed himself on the bed and closed his eyes. Ash soon followed him as he changed his clothes and went to sleep aswell. _Tomorrow is going to be great, it will be just like at the Lily of the Valley Conference_ Ash dozed off as his thoughts sent him to sleep.

_Tomorrow is the first round, I just can't wait!_ Max was thinking the same thing from the other room, _Ash maybe good, but he hasn't met my other pokemon._

_First round is going to be a piece of cake, just Ash's rivals I'm worried about_. Gary felt a little more focussed on Ash's rivals rather than Ash though.

**Meanwhile, in the guest's hotel…**

Brock was sound asleep, he was just as excited as the others. Tracey however, was wide awake; his eyes were red with anger aswell as fear. _I swear Kenny; you are going to be the death of me_. Tracey's dilemma had taken its toll on him; the others knew that he was acting strange, but none of them suspected that it would be anything this bad. _What do I do? Dawn is moving closer to Ash, I can see that. Ash is moving closer to Dawn aswell, that's obvious. But Misty doesn't look like she is going after Ash as much as the girls anymore_, _and there's May and_…

"AAAHHH" Tracey burst out in anger sweating and panting as Brock's deep sleep was interrupted. "Why do you do this to me Kenny?" Tracey's thoughts expressed themselves as Brock looked questionably at Tracey.

"What happened Tracey? Just a nightmare?" Brock was concerned about him as Tracey turned his head towards him

"Yeah, it was just a…just a…nightmare" Tracey's mind left his body as he felt he had to tell someone.

"Oh OK then" Brock was a lot less concerned as he turned around and went back to sleep.

"But Brock, wait" Tracey's heart pounded, telling someone of the situation was the only way forward. "There's something I have to tell you…" Brock got up as he looked confused. "Well, back in Pallet Town, when me, Professor Oak and Gary left Ash's house to go back to the lab…"

**In the girl's room…**

"Hey, anyone still awake?" May called out from one of the beds as her brown eyes were wide awake.

"Yeah, I can't seem to get to sleep, I guess I'm excited about tomorrow" Dawn spoke out. The two of them waited for a second to see if Misty was awake, but no sound came from her.

"Wow, she sure did sleep well" May was surprised, "how on earth does she do that? I'm too excited to fall asleep."

"True. Ash, Gary and Max are going to need all the encouragement that we can give them tomorrow. Hey May, out of interest…" May's face lit up as Dawn pointed her question at her. "Who are you rooting for in this tournament, Ash or your brother Max?" May blushed, she wanted to say Ash, but Max is her brother and she cares about him just as much.

"Well, I guess…errr…" May stuttered as the pressure of the question cornered May. "I guess, I love Ash, and Max is my brother, so I guess I'm going to root for my brother Max." May's answer shocked Dawn. "But only by a little, if it were Ash and Max in the final, I would cheer them both on." Dawn smiled at her statement.

"Well, if Gary, Ash or Max made it into the final, then I wouldn't mind who wins, but it would look nice with Ash, Pokemon Master, and me Top Co-ordinator together" Dawn sighed dreamily, the rivalry between the girls had entered the conversation as May frowned slightly.

"Well, you keep thinking that, I'm going to get some sleep now, so goodnight Dawn" May ended the conversation as she closed her eyes and turned away.

"Night May" Dawn responded still with her fantasy in her mind. _One day Ash, I'm certain of it_.

**Back with Tracey and Brock…**

"So, Kenny is at The Indigo Plateau?" Brock said hastily. Tracey's story had him shaken.

"That's right, and if Dawn gets closer to Ash, or Ash gets closer to Dawn, then something bad will happen to Ash" Tracey replied worriedly, he was shaking with fear of the thought of what may happen to Ash if the two do get closer together.

"Well, Dawn is getting closer to Ash, no doubt. Ash…well, he might be falling for Dawn a bit" Brock was watching the two over the last few days aswell. Tracey looked at him with a scared look on his face.

"I noticed, and now the tournament is coming up, Dawn would want to get even closer" Tracey said.

"OK, we have three choices from here: one, get Ash away from Dawn or vice versa. Two, get May or Misty closer to Ash, or three: deal with Kenny." Brock reasoned with himself, Tracey's face lit up as he smiled at Brock's third option.

"Number three, I would sure like to teach that guy a lesson for threatening me and Ash" Tracey smiled sadistically as Brock smiled aswell.

"Great idea, but how do we stop him?" Brock wondered, he was a master at thinking of new ideas, but this was a totally different situation.

"We do the same thing he did to me, but to him" Tracey smiled once more, he never wanted to harm Kenny, but the thought of him made Tracey's blood boil. "Just as long as we don't hurt him physically, I just want to scare him that's all." Brock nodded in agreement.

"Sounds great, whatever happens though, we have to wait 'til tomorrow" Brock turned around as he went back to sleep. "Night Tracey" Brock exclaimed, proud of himself that he once again helped one of his friends when they were in need.

"Goodnight Brock" Tracey's eyes closed as he fell asleep with happy thoughts in his head, a change from the previous nights when his mind was tormented.

**The following morning…**

The day of the tournament, the glistening sun floats with the bright cloudless sky. Groups of Starly fly from tree to tree as the warm air welcomes them to the trees. It was still early in the morning, yet it wasn't too early for Max and Gary who couldn't hold in their excitement.

"I can't believe it's today, I just cannot wait 'til we get to The Indigo Plateau!" Max called out in excitement.

"Well, we're not gonna get there if Ash doesn't get up" Gary was just as excited, but he felt a little more mature to be showing it like Max is. "Come on Ashy boy, we gotta get training for later today" Max and Gary were standing out Ash's door as Gary knocked twice on Ash's door.

"Come on, Ash!" Max just opened Ash's door and walked in with Gary following just a couple of steps behind to find Ash, sound asleep, with his Pikachu resting by the side of him. "Wow, he sure does sleep well" Max sounded surprised; he couldn't comprehend how someone could be this excited and still could be asleep.

"Maybe, he was just too excited to go to sleep, and now that he finally has, he's not going to wake up for a while" Gary stated. The two of them paused for a moment. "Come on, let's leave him to sleep" Gary looked at Ash sleeping peacefully as the two boys walked out of the room.

**Back in the guest's hotel…**

Delia and Professor Oak were both wide awake in the lobby as Tracey and Brock walked in.

"Morning, did two sleep well?" Delia pointed her question at Tracey and Brock as they both smiled and nodded.

"Of course, I'm surprised I actually got to sleep, I was too excited" Tracey was still excited.

"Well, we were all excited, it is the first round aswell, and I'm sure the boys will do well" Delia said as her vivacious smile overwhelmed the room. "Speaking of which, can you two get the girls up? The professor and I thought that it would be a good idea to wonder around the place before the tournament began.

"Of course, right away" Brock said as the two of them walked towards the girls room.

"Hey Tracey, I've gotta go check up on something, you don't suppose you can get the girls up?" Brock requested.

"Sure, I'll see you in a few minutes" Tracey smiled happily as Brock and him went in different directions. Tracey blushed slightly as he paused in his steps; he then began walking slowly to the girls room and sighed.

**In the girl's room…**

"I can't believe it, the first day of the tournament. I can't wait!" Misty said in excitement, the three girls were all awake and only half dressed as the morning sun shone its way through the window.

"We have just a few hours 'til it begins, undoubtedly it's going to be great" Dawn shared her anticipation, she tried not to mention Ash as she thought that it would spark up some more tension between the girls. Knocking noises came to the door once more. The three girls were half dressed as they all walked to the door thinking it was Ash again, and once again, the girls all look in the mirror on the way moving strands of hair on the way in an attempt to hopefully be rescued by their knight in shining armour. Dawn opened the door, not to find Ash though, but Tracey.

"H…hi girls, how are you?" Tracey said sheepishly as he blushed slightly. The three girls stood slightly surprised, but nevertheless happy to see Tracey.

"Hi Tracey" the three girls smiled at him. "We were just about to go see the Ash, Gary and Max anyway."

"Oh OK then, sorry if I disturbed anything by the way, I'll see you later." Tracey walked off slightly embarrassed about seeing the girls half dressed, he knew that they thought that Ash was at the door, yet he felt that the situation went well. The girls closed the door as they all walked back in with only Misty looking back at the mirror.

"Well, we better get moving, Ash maybe doing some training" May said with a slightly sad tone of voice. The room fell slightly silent for a few seconds, silence was ended though by May again. "Did anyone else want that to be Ash at the door?" May's question shocked the girls.

"I guess so, but Ash needs to get some practice in anyway, and at least it just wasn't a stranger, instead, Tracey" Dawn said.

"Well, I didn't mind if it was Ash or Tracey at the door" Misty smiled. "Anyway, let's go get some breakfast." The three girls walked out the room happily as they went to get some breakfast.

**With Brock…**

Brock was walking to his room when something caught his eye, he stopped in his steps as the gazed at what was in front of him. A young man was standing by his room leaning against the wall.

"Kenny" Brock quietly whispered to himself as he slowly walked up to him, Kenny didn't notice his presence though. "Kenny, we have to talk" Brock stood by Kenny, despite this though, Kenny stood still and didn't answer or move. "Kenny?" Brock stood before his eyes as Kenny finally noticed him.

"Oh hi Brock, nice to see you here" Kenny smiled at him, Kenny's persona completely changed from when he was talking to Tracey as he kept smiling innocently at Brock, _really? Tracey was afraid of this? He looks harmless, how could he do anything like that to him?_ Brock's thoughts changed his plan. "I'm guessing Ash is in the tournament" Kenny said what he already knew.

"Errr…yes that's right, Ash, Gary and Max are all competing in the tournament, its due to start in a couple of hours" Brock said with a happy tone of voice. "Are you competing in the tournament too?" Brock aimed his question at Kenny, he knew that Kenny was a coordinator, but Brock thought that he may have wanted to try something different.

"Me, nah, of course not, I'm just a guest here" Kenny kept with his innocent smile. "Well, I better get moving now, like you said, the tournament begins soon, tell Gary, Ash and Max I said good luck, I'll see you around Brock" Kenny walked away before Brock could ask him anymore questions. _What was Tracey on about?_ Brock was confused, he wanted to believe Tracey's story, but somehow he couldn't, the way Kenny smiled innocently and his positive expressions made Tracey's story sound even more fake. Brock sighed as he walked into the room thinking to himself again, _but what was he doing standing here anyway?_

**With Delia, Professor Oak and Tracey…**

"Yep, I called the girls, they say that they're coming down" Tracey said to Professor Oak.

"Great, and then we may finally get to The Indigo Plateau for to see the first round match-ups" Professor Oak said, he had a suitcase with all the pokemon that belong to Ash, Gary and Max beside him. "I told the boys that we will meet them at The Indigo Plateau after the match-ups, I think their training right now." The three girls walked in cheerfully.

"Hey everyone" the three girls politely said smiling as Brock walked in from behind them.

"Hey, how are you all?" Brock said happily.

"Great thanks" everyone responded at the same time, they were all excited that the tournament was finally about to begin soon.

"So, where are Ash, Gary and Max?" May said questionably.

"Oh, they're all training for the tournament I'm guessing, anyhow, how about we all get going to The Indigo Plateau?" Professor Oak suggested. "We have about 20 minutes, so we better get moving."

"Right" everyone responded as they all walked outside and headed to The Indigo Plateau.

**Meanwhile, in Ash's room…**

"_And the winner of The Rivalry Tournament and newly titled Pokemon Master, Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town!" The announcer called out as seas of people roared out in applause, all cheering for their new champion. Ash stood on the podium with his friends behind him smiling at him, the crowd was roaring and cheering at Ash as the President of the Pokemon league hands him The Rivalry Tournament Trophy._

"_Congratulations Ash, you have proved yourself not just an incredible trainer among trainers, but you have also proved that you deserve the title Pokemon Master"_

"_Well, I couldn't have done it without my friends and family" Ash smiled happily as he turned around to see Delia smiling as a tear drops from her eye._

"_That's my boy", to the right of her stood professor Oak smiling._

"_Well done Ash, Pallet Town is proud of you" Professor Oak congratulated him._

"_Way to go Ash!" Tracey called out loudly._

"_Great job Ash, I knew you could do it" Brock had been travelling with Ash for too long now, he always did have faith in him and he always knew that he would become a Pokemon Master one day._

"_Ash, great job, oh and great battle in the final by the way" Gary stood beside Brock smiling happily at his friend._

"_Yeah Ash, it was an amazing battle, you certainly deserve it" Max added, but the right of Max stood the three girls with expressionless faces._

"_Well girls, I did it!" Ash felt that he needed more praise; he had finally achieved his dream after all these years. The girls didn't respond though, instead three guys walked onto the podium and stood casually next to the three girls. "Errr…who are they?" Ash was bemused as he stared at them. The three guys looked a little bit older than Ash, and appeared to be more mature. The three guys put their arms around each of the girl's waists. "Hey, what's going on?" Ash was still bemused. The three girls then placed their arms around each of the guy's waists and smiled but still didn't take any notice of Ash. "Dawn… May… Misty, what's going on?" Ash was shocked, he felt as if winning the entire tournament was for nothing, the anger and sadness in his eyes were shown as his brown eyes turned to deep red colour. "Why are they here? Why?" Ash shouted at the girls as they stood still as if Ash wasn't there. The three girls walked with the three guys off the podium and out the gate looking into one another's eyes, whilst Ash was particularly looking at one of the girls, her shining eyes glistened off the radiant sun as she turned away. "It…it…it can't be, all this time, I never told her that… I love her, and then she just walks off with some guy" Ash fell to his knees as he looked at his special girl walk off into the distance. "I would've done anything for you" Ash let out a tear as he dropped his trophy. "I don't want it to end like this, I do love you, but I'm too afraid to say it" Ash let out another tear, the three girls kept on walking as Ash watched them, one of the girls turned around though and smiled at him… Ash's special girl._

"AAAHH" Ash woke up from his nightmare to find the sunlight still shining brightly on his eyes; he quickly looked around to see if the dream really did come true, but all he saw was Pikachu on his bed slowly waking up. "Oh, thank goodness. It was all just a dream" Ash sighed in relief has he went back closed his eyes and tried to get back to sleep.

"Pika-Pika!" Pikachu called Ash as he stood pointing at the clock.

"What is it Pikachu? We have hours 'til we are supposed to be at The Indigo Plateau" Ash said tiredly as she slowly opened his eyes to see a hazy image of Pikachu pointing at the clock.

"Pika-Pika!" Pikachu called Ash again. Ash focussed his eyes at the clock.

"AAHH! 1:50, we gotta get moving Pikachu" Ash's eyes widened as he quickly jumped out of bed and changed his clothes. "Come on Pikachu, we'll get some breakfast later, for now, we just gotta get to The Indigo Plateau and fast" Ash grabbed Pikachu as he quickly ran out the door. Within a matter of seconds, he was outside and could just see the Indigo Plateau. "I can't believe I overslept again, you gotta wake me up sometimes Pikachu" Ash looked at Pikachu who was on his shoulder.

"Pika-Pi" Pikachu pulled an expression that only Ash would understand.

"Ok, maybe we both have problems with our sleep, but it's not important now, we just got to make it there on time." Memories of the dream floated back into Ash's mind, _what was that dream all about? And why couldn't I stop looking at her? Oh well, it won't happen… except for the bit when I win the tournament!. _Ash smiled as they reached the entrance to The Indigo Plateau. "Well, we made it" Ash looked at his Poketch. "We better get ourselves checked in, we were told to head to the main stadium for the opening ceremony" Ash reminded himself.

**In the stands…**

Brock, Tracey, Professor Oak, Misty, May, Dawn and Delia had taken their seats and were ready for the opening ceremony. A group of 63 trainers were in the middle of the stadium waiting for Mr Goodshow to officially begin the tournament.

"I can see Gary and Max, but where is Ash?" Dawn looked from the distance.

"Wherever he is, he better get here soon, the tournament isn't far from now" Brock stated with a slightly worried tone.

"He's probably still sleeping, how typical of Ash" May said jokingly as Dawn and Misty giggled.

**With Ash…**

"Almost there Pikachu" Ash ran towards the bright light that lead to the centre of the stadium. As he entered the stadium hastily, he began to run a little slower to admire the scenery. What seemed to be millions of people cheered at the trainers in the middle of the stadium, Ash had finally caught up with them as he stood next to Gary and Max. _Oh man that was embarrassing_. "Hey guys, thanks for waking me up this morning" Ash said sarcastically. Gary and Max noticed his presence and turned around.

"Oh hey Ash, we were going to wake you up, but you looked like you looked like you were sleeping peacefully" Gary justified his actions.

"Yeah, you did look like you were having a good dream, so we left you" Max added. _More like a nightmare_, Ash remembered his dream vaguely. _What did happen exactly? Why did the girls just walk away?_ Ash's thoughts were interrupted by a loudspeaker, a small man with a white beard stood from a balcony below the massive screen.

"Good afternoon ladies and gentleman" Charles Goodshow spoke into the microphone his voice echoed around the stadium. "Welcome to The Rivalry Tournament, a test of the trainers mind aswell as their pokemon. The trainers you see before you are the best of the best, coming from all over the world to win this prestigious prize, The Rivalry Tournament Trophy" Charles Goodshow held out the trophy as the crowd cheered with excitement. "But to get such an incredible prize, the trainers must battle one another to advance to the final, and the winner of the final can claim their prize."

"Here that Pikachu, it's all ours" Ash looked at Pikachu who was on his shoulder.

"Pika-Pika" Pikachu happily said.

"The 64 trainers will battle it out in a knockout tournament, with the first round beginning today. The first 2 rounds are a 3 on 3 battle, with no time limits. The first round will begin today in the smaller stadiums; the 64 trainers can be seen on the screen now and will be randomly shuffled to see the first round match-ups." The large screen above Charles Goodshow lit up as 64 pictures appeared on the screen. Ash analysed the screen carefully to see any familiar faces.

"Look Pikachu, Harrison is here. I can see Tyson and Morrison aswell" Ash smiled in anticipation. "Barry and Conway also made it, and look there…Tobias and Paul are here" Ash's smile only grew; he had waited so long to go against Tobias again. "Oh man, I'm so psyched!"

"Pika-Pi-ka" Pikachu smiled, he was just as excited as Ash about facing off against his old rivals.

"The 64 trainers that you see on your screen will be randomly shuffled, now we will see the first round match-ups" Charles Goodshow said from his microphone as everyone looked at the large screen in anticipation. "And there we have it; the first round has been decided."

"Great, my battle begins at 4 o'clock in stadium B" Gary said excitedly.

"Mine begins at half past four in stadium A, oh, I can't wait!" Max was just as excited, this would be the second tournament he has ever entered, and after coming in the top 4 in the Hoenn league, Max is a very good for his age. "What about yours Ash?" Ash stood their silently, he was tired and slightly unhappy.

"What's wrong Ash?" Gary looked at him sympathetically.

"My first match is against my Hoenn rival and friend Morrison" Ash said as his tone of voice got slightly happier.

"Wow, you mean the Morrison that you battled before? That's great!" Max stated, he remembered Morrison very well and how Ash only just was able to beat him. "You already know his strategy, so he should be a piece of cake."

"It's not that, I don't want to knock out one of my friends in the first round, or even be knocked out" Ash said slightly solemnly. "But that doesn't matter, because I'm here to win." Ash changed his mood quickly as he punched the air triumphantly. Morrison then began walking towards him with a smile on his face.

"Hey Ash, great to see you here, I heard you've been gone for 6 months or so to do some special training or something like that" the ginger haired boy said.

"Yeah, but how did you know?" Ash was curious to know.

"I've looked up your data; you think I would go into a tournament and not even look up one of my old friend's data?" Morrison stated giggling a bit.

"I guess you're right" Ash said sheepishly whilst scratching the back of his head.

"Well no amount of training will beat me, I'll see you later when we battle" Morrison said, he tried to intimidate Ash, but they knew each other too well to scare one another.

"You'll see I'll see you later" Ash, Gary and Max walked out the gates as the rest of the trainers soon followed. "So guys, it's time for some training then" Ash looked to his right to see Max and Gary.

"Right, but first, I think I'll work out my team. My battle isn't so far away. I'll catch up with you later Ash" Gary walked back to his room as Max and Ash watched him.

"I think I'll do the same, mine isn't so far away either" Max caught up with Gary, which left Ash and Pikachu.

"So Pikachu, how about we rest for a couple of hours?" Ash suggested.

"Pika-Pi" Pikachu agreed as they began walking back to their hotel until they were swamped by the three girls.

"Hey Ash!" The three girls came running up from behind him, startling him slightly.

"Hi, how is everyone today?" Ash said, he remembered the fact that he woke up late, again.

"We're great Ash, we saw you were late aswell" Tracey said happily as everyone giggled slightly as the raven haired boy looked slightly embarrassed.

"Yeah, I may have overslept a bit. But I'm going to go relax for a few hours, after all it's only Morrison" Ash said as Brock looked at him slightly concerned.

"Ash, you do remember how close Morrison was to beating you at the Hoenn league?" Brock informed him.

"Brock's right, everyone in this tournament is no pushover, when you start thinking tactics, you must think carefully" Professor Oak supported Brock's statement.

"I'll remember, I think I'll just relax for a couple of hours, then we begin" Ash smiled as he clenched his fist triumphantly, he had completely forgot what Gary told him yesterday about there being no time to relax. "I'll see you all later then" Ash added whilst walking back to his hotel room. _I know you'll do great Ash_ Dawn thought to herself as she blushed slightly. _Ash looks all fired up, I can't wait to see him battle_ May thought. Misty didn't think the similar thoughts to May and Dawn; instead she just looked at him as he walked away.

"Hey Ash" May called out as Ash turned around. "Can I come too?"

"I'm only going to relax and maybe think about some tactics and battle a bit, but OK, if you want to come" Ash gave in, he secretly needed some company.

"Oh, I'm coming to Ash" Dawn followed.

"Oh and me" Misty decided she would go aswell.

"I guess I'll come help you too Ash" Tracey also wanted to go, despite feeling a lot safer, he still wanted to see what Ash and Dawn will do.

**So, how will the first round of the tournament go for Ash, Gary and Max? Does Brock still have faith in Tracey and how will he deal with Tracey? What was Ash's nightmare all about and who is Ash's special girl?**

**Plenty more to come, it's the holidays, so I'm going to be writing a lot quicker. Sorry if this chapter is crap. Next chapter is about the first round of the tournament and maybe some other things.**

**Thanks a lot for taking the time to read this **** and remember to R&R.**


	5. Golden advice

**Hey guys, my longest chapter yet, despite it being the shortest time between events. It's not much and I don't think I included Kenny, there will be a lot more moments for him to shine. Basically, this chapter is the preparation for the tournament aswell as the first round battles for Gary and Max, and new character enters the love Dilemma.**

**Remember to R&R guys, thank you for your previous reviews aswell, it really motivates me so every word counts **

Ash headed back to his hotel room with Tracey, Misty, May and Dawn to relax before Ash has is first round battle of The Rivalry Tournament against his friend Morrison.

"You don't need to practice Ash" May said, he didn't want to sabotage Ash's chances of beating Morrison; she just wanted to spend more time with him.

"Gary told me yesterday that there won't be any time to relax, I may just sit around and think for little while, and then get onto some battle practice" Ash responded, he took a brief moment to think about what Gary and Max are doing right now, _I think I'll skip their first round matches, I know they'll make it_, Ash reassured himself. "I do wonder how Gary and Max are preparing" Ash said to himself as he looked to his right to find Dawn looking at him dreamily. "Errr…Dawn…?" Ash looked at her shining sapphire eyes as they glimmer in the afternoon sun.

"Oh…what's up Ash?" Dawn was sent back to reality, _I really shouldn't dream when I'm near him_. She couldn't help it though. _If only you knew Ash_, Dawn thought to herself sighing slightly

"Oh, err…nothing actually" Ash was going to ask her question, but stopped.

"Hey Ash, how about we go to the park instead, if all we are going to do is relax and battle, maybe it would be better" Tracey suggested, everyone's face lit up as they smiled at the suggestion.

"Great idea Tracey, it's not far from here and it's a nice warm day" Misty notably smiled at his idea as Tracey smiled back casually. The cloudless sky levitated above the green grass as the five of them arrived at the park and all sat on a bench together.

"What could be better than this…relaxing, just before a tournament, with my best friends" Ash sighed relaxingly as the rest of his friends smiled. Dawn and May sat either side of him, leaving Misty sitting beside Dawn, with Tracey sitting beside Misty. There was a brief silence, where everyone just relaxed and enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere.

"So Ash, have you chosen your pokemon yet?" Dawn asked him, she looked deeply into his eyes as she quickly forgot what she asked him, Ash didn't notice as he looked up at the sky smiling.

"I'm passed that stage now, I've got my team ready" Ash said confidently, another silence followed May was reminded of something.

"So err…Ash…do you want a battle?" May placed herself in his eye sight, Ash said that he would do some battling a lot later, but May just could not wait.

"Yeah sure" Ash quickly glanced at Dawn, who winked very quickly at May. _I can't believe she did it!_ Ash and May got off the bench as Dawn, Misty and Tracey shuffled themselves towards the middle of the bench.

"So Ash, are you going to use the pokemon right now, against Morrison?" May asked him. Ash had taken his place at a distance from May.

"Nah, my pokemon need to rest 'til later" Ash smiled cunningly.

"Hey Ash, I could referee if you want me to" Tracey stood up of the bench willing to help his friend.

"Yeah sure, that'll be great."

**Back at the trainer's hotel…**

Gary was hard at work at a desk with a piece of paper and a pen. _Let's see, my opponent in the first round is a trainer called Sam, he came top 8 in the Kanto league, so he's pretty good_. Gary tried his best to gather as much information as he can about the trainer. _His main pokemon is a Magmortar, but I have plenty of counters to that and then there's… _Gary stopped thinking for a second.

"I bet Ash is all prepared now anyway" Gary guessed unknowingly.

**In Max's room…**

Max was also hard at work behind a desk, he had a pencil and a piece of paper with a load of random drawings that appeared to be scribbled out. _OK, first match is against a guy called Callum who came top 4 in the Johto league, I better ask Gary about him_. _His main pokemon is a Typhlosion, which should be no problem to me because of my powerful pokemon_. Max smiled, he and Professor Oak were the only people to know about Max's other pokemon, yet despite his confidence, he sighed.

"I'm sure Ash has everything already sorted out" Max also said unknowingly.

**Meanwhile, at the park…**

"PIKA-CHUUUUU" Pikachu unleashes his thunderbolt as May's Beautifly is sent crashing to the ground.

"Beautifly is unable to battle, Ash is the winner!" Tracey called out as Dawn and Misty clapped from the sidelines.

"Return Beautifly, you were amazing, thank you" May smiled at her pokeball as she looked up to Ash. The two of them then walked to the centre with Pikachu standing beside Ash.

"Great battle May, you really have got a lot better since I last saw you" Ash complimented her as May blushed slightly and looked away hoping that Ash wouldn't see.

"Well Ash, I'm nowhere near as good as you. I bet Morrison wouldn't stand a chance" May sent the compliment back just before there was a brief silence. "Errr…thanks for the great battle by the way" she stared into his eyes deeply as she placed her arms around Ash and hugged him. _Oh Ash, I want us to be this close all the time_. May's face turned to a deep red colour as she finally was living her dreams, Ash eventually hugged her back and smiled as she rested her head on Ash's chest. May began to hug him harder as she closed her eyes, no doubt the Misty and Dawn were on the sidelines fuming with anger, their eyes had turned to green pebbles as they watched May hug Ash. Eventually Ash was the one to break it up.

"You're welcome May, I couldn't have battled anyone better" Ash completely forgot that Misty and Dawn could hear what he said.

"Wow coming from you Ash, that means a lot" May looked at him dreamily as she quickly hugged Ash's side tightly. Meanwhile, Misty and Dawn were sitting on the bench with disgust written all over their face.

"Well done May, you really did great against Ash" Dawn said slightly sarcastically, despite her comment, May didn't notice what she said, nor did Ash.

"Great battle you too" Tracey walked over smiling at them, not just at how well Ash battled, but the fact that he got closer to May instead of Dawn for once. _Finally to turning point, say goodbye to Kenny from here on, _he took a quick second to remember his and Brock's plan.

"…_I just want to scare him…"_

It was just a matter of seeing Kenny again. For the first time in a while, Tracey felt safe from Kenny, that was until a certain voice entered the conversation.

"Hey guys, didn't know you were here" the surprised voice came from behind them. As everyone turned around, they seen a young man with green hair smiling cheerfully at them, he didn't look any older than them or any younger. He wore a purple jacket and had kept his hands on his pocket, he also had a grin on his face as he moved a few strands of hair on his head.

"Wow, hi Drew" Ash said happily. "Great to see you here."

"And you Ash" Drew sent the compliment back. _Oh no…anyone but him… just as long as he stays away from May, I'll be fine_, Tracey thought to himself, he was cheerful and was feeling great for the last couple of minutes before Drew arrived.

"So Drew, are you competing in the tournament aswell?" Dawn asked him.

"Nah, I'm just a guest, it's always nice seeing the very best trainers battle it out, it also gives me new ideas for my contests, I'm sure you and May will be doing the same" Drew quickly glanced at May with a cheeky smile on his face. _Oh dear, I have to do something_, Tracey's thoughts haunted him again. There was a brief silence that allowed everyone to hear groups of Pidgey fly from the nearby trees.

"Anyway guys, I better get going, the first match of the first round begins soon, and I don't want to miss it" Drew said as he slowly turned away smiling.

"Hey Drew, wait up" Drew stopped in his tracks as he turned back to them.

"We were just heading there ourselves, you see Gary is competing, and that's his battle" Misty noted, Gary was the very first person to battle in the entire tournament, fortunately for him, he was far more than prepared for his battle.

"That's great, let's go there together then" Drew suggested as everyone but Ash got up and started walking.

"Huh, Ash, come on" Dawn said as she turned around.

"Nah, I've got some tactics to work out against Morrison, I'll catch you guys later, and tell Gary that I said good luck" Ash shouted as he walked in the opposite direction with Pikachu on his shoulder. Everyone else stood there as they were all surprised that Ash is not going to see the first round battle of one of his friends.

"Come on guys, first match begins in just a few minutes" Tracey started walking as the rest soon followed on.

**A few minutes later…**

"Welcome ladies and gentleman to the first battle of the first round of The Rivalry Tournament held at The Indigo Plateau!" The crowd roared with excitement as Drew, May, Dawn, Tracey and Misty took their seats beside Delia, Professor Oak and Brock.

"Just in time then" Drew said whilst smiling particularly at May who didn't seem to notice.

"The first round contains the top 64 trainers battling it out in a 3 on 3 battle with no time limits, and let's welcome our trainers who will soon battle it out to claim their place in the second round and the top 32" the announcer's voice roared across the stadium as everyone took their sat down.

"Oh hey Drew, nice seeing you here" Brock kindly stated as he saw everyone walking towards him.

"Hey Brock, great to see you again" Drew responded as he took his seat next to Brock. May was next in line to sit next to Drew. She quickly turned around and tried to switch places with Dawn before she sat down, but Dawn blocked her way as May was forced to sit next to Drew. _Oh man, I've got to sit next to Drew, _she sighed, _this is going to be a long half hour_. Dawn smiled at May, teasing her over what happened earlier with Ash. _I don't believe she would do such a thing to me, how dare she use me to battle Ash_, Dawn wasn't one to hold grudges against someone, so she let it pass. Beside Dawn sat Misty who smiled with excitement over Gary's first match, and Tracey sat next to Misty, who was just as excited.

"Isn't this great Tracey, I can't wait" Misty said with enthusiasm as she turned to Tracey.

"Sure is, I just can't wait to see how well Gary will do" Tracey didn't notice Misty looking at him as he was too fixated on the battle area.

"On one side, we have Gary Oak, from Pallet Town!" The crowd roared with excitement, Gary's friends in particular, as he looks around waving to the audience with a large grin on his face.

"Typical Gary to want to look the best" Professor Oak said jokingly as everyone laughed.

"Well, it's a lot different from the old Gary who took cheerleaders with him wherever he went" Brock reminded them as they all nodded in agreement. "He looks ready, I'm sure he'll do great".

"And Gary's opponent in the first round is Sam from Viridian City!" There was an equally loud noise as a trainer who appeared a lot older and bigger than Gary imitated his actions and started waving to the audience who replied with a thunderous cheer.

"Wow, this guy must be really popular" May acknowledged.

"He came top 8 in the Kanto region, so he is pretty good, also The Indigo Plateau is situated in the Kanto region, so he's playing on home turf" Drew replied to May as she looked totally uninterested in what Drew said. _May's not acting right, I know I haven't seen her in a while, but she just doesn't seem right, _Drew looked concerned at her, he tried is best not to act arrogant and over confident, but nothing seemed to be working. _Drew's acting strange, he seems to be a little more…aware…of me_, May was thinking similar thoughts to Drew though as they both moved their eyes to the battle field.

"The battle will be a 3 on 3 battle with no time limits, Sam gets the first move. Begin!" The referee announced as the crowd watched in anticipation.

"Magmortar, I need your help!" Sam threw is pokeball in the air to reveal his fire red pokemon.

"Mag-mort"

"Just as I predicted, Blastoise, go!" Gary launched his pokeball in the air to reveal his turtle pokemon.

"Blast-oi"

"It seems that Gary knew that Magmortar would be the first one out, he obviously has used the research to its potential" Tracey stated.

"Magmortar, use Fire Blast" the large fire type held its arm out and unleashed a bolt of fire at Blastoise.

"Blastoise, block it with Hydro Pump!" The turtle like pokemon let out huge amounts of water from the cannon on his back as it matches Magmortar's power and cancels out both attacks leaving a cloud of steam that made neither pokemon visible to their trainer.

"Quick Blastoise, hide!" Gary commanded his pokemon as Blastoise hides in the steam out of Magmortar's eye sight.

"Look for him Magmortar, quickly" Magmortar looks around aimlessly for Gary's pokemon as Blastoise used Hydro Cannon just before the steam cleared up.

"Mag-mortar", the fire type was hurled to the ground by a super effective water attack.

"Magmortar return" Sam retreated his pokemon worriedly as Gary shows a smile.

"Gary planned every move of that, he knew that Magmortar would do a fire attack, and he knew that Blastoise would be able to hide, forcing Sam to retreat" Drew smiled at Gary's plan as he attempted to impress May with his knowledge.

"Yeah, but don't forget Drew, this guy came in the top 8 of the Kanto league, so he's no pushover" May corrected Drew as Drew fell silent.

"Skarmory! Time to battle!" The armour bird pokemon spreads its wings as it looks intimidatingly at Blastoise.

"Skar-skar!"

"Return Blastoise! I'll save you 'til later. Electivire, go!" Gary revealed his second pokemon.

"Electivire!" The crowd cheer and applaud Gary's Electivire after most of them seen it do wonders at the Silver Conference in Johto.

"Be careful Skarmory!" Sam warned his pokemon as even he knew how tough Gary's Electivire is. "Ok, now, use Brave Bird!" Skarmory lit up as it dived its way towards Gary's Electivire.

"Grab it Electivire!" Gary commanded his pokemon as Electivire got hold of both of Skarmory's wings stopping it in its tracks.

"Wow, incredible!" Delia admired.

"Incredible is a bit of an understatement, stopping a Brave Bird attack is one thing, but catching one from a Skarmory is more than incredible!" Professor Oak added.

"OK, Electivire, use Thunderbolt!"

"Electivire!" The electric tails of Electivire lit up as a jolt of thunder found its way to Skarmory illuminating it up for the stadium to see.

"That will be tough to survive, Electivire is really strong aswell, and with a super effective electric attack, Skarmory won't take it lightly" Dawn acknowledged with pride, she felt happy that she could join in on conversations about pokemon types and special attacks as she knew only the basics for battling, despite this though, no one seemed to notice. The armour bird pokemon retreats slowly, as the Thunderbolt really did some damage to it.

"Hang in there Skarmory!" Sam reassured his pokemon smiling.

"Electrivire, get your tails in the ground" Electivire obeyed as it dug its two tails beneath the surface.

"Why is he doing that?" Misty wondered, to her it seemed kind of pointless.

"You'll see" Tracey said smiling; he knew what Gary's next move would be.

"Skarmory, use Steel Wing on it" the armor bird pokemon once again launches itself, illuminating its wings.

"Perfect. Electivire, Thunder!" Gary's pokemon obeyed this strange attack sequence as another jolt of thunder went through both of Electivire's tails and into the ground, hurling large boulders and chunks of rock at Skarmory.

"Skar-mory"

"Skarmory's speed combined with the power of the rocks sure made one powerful collision" Tracey explained the move sequence to Misty who looked pleasantly surprised.

"Wow, that's really smart of Gary" Misty said as Skarmory was crashed to the ground and unable to move.

"Watching a really defensive pokemon like Skarmory get knocked out by only 2 moves really is something you don't see every day" Professor Oak added.

"Skarmory is unable to battle, Electivire is the winner!" The referee announced as the crowd roared in excitement.

"Good job Skarmory, that Electivire is strong, but it won't make a difference, Machamp, Go!" Sam switched his pokemon to a brawny Machamp.

"Macham" the pokemon said whilst taking position.

"Electivire, use Thunder Punch" The black and yellow pokemon ran forwards as its fist became charged with energy.

"Counter it with Dynamic Punch!" Sam commanded his pokemon as Machamp lunged forward in an attempt to attack Electivire, despite this though, Electivire hit first, sending Machamp flying across the battle field.

"Hang in there Machamp!" The trainer reassured his pokemon.

"Seems like Gary already knew what was going to happen" Brock stated. The brawny Machamp got up as his trainer smiled at Machamp's status condition.

"Just what I need" Sam said cunningly as Machamp was paralysed by Electivire's attack.

"This is not good" Brock acknowledged.

"Why?" May looked at Brock concerned.

"Machamp's ability is Guts, when a status is inflicted onto it, its attack power raises dramatically" Drew answered what Brock was going to say as May once again pretends to be totally uninterested.

"A bit like when Paul's Ursaring had a status condition?" Dawn asked whilst looking at Brock, she took a brief moment to remember their Sinnoh journeys, with Dawn, Ash and Brock and how much fun they had.

"Exactly, just hope Gary knows" Brock looked down at Gary worryingly.

"Perfect, Electivire use Thunder Punch to finish it off!" Gary smiled, he thought the win was his for the taking, but he was wrong.

"Not so fast" Sam said as Machamp's eyes began to glow a deep red colour, Machamp roared as it showed off its tremendous power. Gary stood in shock as he didn't expect such a thing to happen, Machamp was surrounded with a crimson aura raising its attack power, whilst the crowd stood silent in unpredictability as the tables had turned and now Sam had the advantage.

"Would you believe it, Machamp's paralysis condition has activated Guts, and with an already strong Machamp, Guts may just be the turning point in this battle" the announcer called out.

"It doesn't matter, come on Electivire, Thunder Punch" Gary commanded his pokemon as Electivire once again hurls itself at Machamp.

"Machamp, Cross Chop" Sam said calmly as Machamp's and Electivire's attacks collide causing an explosion with both pokemon hidden once again.

"Electivire hide!" Gary tried to use the same tactics before.

"Just stand still Machamp" Sam said, Gary looked at the explosion surprised as he tried to take advantage of Machamp not moving.

"Electivire, finish it off with Thunder Punch!" Gary smiled as the smoke cleared up, Electivire didn't move a muscle as it lay fainted on the battle field from the sheer power of Machamp's attack. "Electivire…" Gary said praying that his pokemon was not hurt badly.

"Electivire is unable to battle, Machamp is the winner" the announcer called as the stadium stood in shock. Everyone had seen how strong Gary's Electivire was in the Johto League, they knew that it very rarely fainted, but they were all surprised as it was taken down with only one hit from Machamp.

"Mach-amp" the gutsy pokemon stood once more showing off its muscles.

"That Machamp is tough, I bet Gary thought that his main pokemon was his Magmortar, so he put his best pokemon forward, but he was wrong, that Machamp will sure be tough to beat" Professor Oak stated as everyone nodded in agreement.

"Electivire return, that was my fault, sorry" Gary withdrew his pokemon as he hovered his hand over his next pokemon.

"What will Gary do now, he could either use his Blastoise or a new pokemon" the announcer called out. Gary quickly hovered his hand over a different pokeball, _Sam's Magmortar is still there though, I'll save Blastoise 'til the very end_.

"Umbreon, I choose you!" Gary sent out his Umbreon despite having the type disadvantage.

"OK Machamp, use Cross Chop" Machamp ran forward towards Umbreon.

"Take the hit Umbreon" Gary said as Umbreon was hurled across the battlefield by an extremely super effective Cross Chop, along with Guts, Umbreon was hurt by such a powerful attack.

"Perfect, Assurance Umbreon!" Gary commanded his pokemon as Umbreon swiftly attacked Machamp.

"Excellent move, Gary wanted to get twice the power with that attack by being attacked first" Dawn admired his tactics.

"But dark type moves won't do much damage on fighting types like Machamp. To really do some damage and get back into this battle, Gary needs to use some stronger moves or more effective ones" Drew replied.

"Great job Umbreon!" Despite Gary's compliment on Umbreon's attack, it didn't look like it did much damage. _I have to try something else, or Machamp will overwhelm me_.

"Machamp, get close to Umbreon" Sam told his pokemon as Machamp began running towards Umbreon hastily.

"Oh no you don't! Umbreon, use Psychic!" As Machamp ran towards Umbreon, it was stopped in its tracks as Umbreon's eyes turned light blue. "Now!" Umbreon hurled the Machamp coated in its crimson aura across the battle field.

"That was definitely a super effective hit, but I don't think it's enough to take out Machamp" the announcer called out.

"Quick Machamp, use Dynamic Punch!" The attack surprised Gary as his Umbreon was left defenceless against the incredibly powerful attack, leaving Umbreon fainted on the battle field.

"Mach-hamp"

"Umbreon is unable to battle, Machamp is the winner" the referee called out as the crowd cheered once again for Sam's Machamp. Gary gritted his teeth and growled as he returned his Umbreon.

"You battled bravely Umbreon, now get some rest" Gary complimented his pokemon as he felt that winning this battle would be a little more than impossible now.

"Machamp, return!" Sam recalled his pokemon as Gary almost felt tortured. _If he returns his Machamp, it will give it time to rest_, _and I still have to battle Magmortar_. Gary lowered his head as the crowd fell silent. _I've qualified for this tournament, and I'm not going out without a fight_.

"I wonder how Gary feeling, it's just going from bad to worse. First, Electivire activates Guts and gets knocked out, then Umbreon is knocked out leaving Gary with only his Blastoise, and now Machamp has been returned so it can rest. Gary is in a lot of trouble" Brock said with a concerned tone of voice.

"Blastoise, go!" Gary sent out his Blastoise in desperation, his last chance to make it into the top 32 and the second round of the tournament.

"Magmortar, I need your help"

"Mag-mort" Sam sent out his Magmortar, which Gary originally thought was his main pokemon.

"Be careful Blastoise, I know you can do this" Gary had faith in his pokemon.

"Blast-oise"

"Blastoise, use Hydro Pump!" Gary commanded his pokemon as Blastoise unleashed a ton of water from its cannons on its back.

"Magmortar, dodge it and use Thunderbolt" Sam told his pokemon, he acted more prepared than Gary and more able.

"And if it couldn't get any worse for Gary, Magmortar knows Thunderbolt so it can counter water types, I bet Sam hidden this attack just so he can take out Blastoise" Misty stated, she looked at Gary in a concerned way aswell. Blastoise's attack was dodged by Magmortar as it sends a thunderbolt straight at Blastoise.

"Blastoise! No!" Gary was in a desperate situation as his Blastoise illuminated from a very powerful Thunderbolt. "Come on Blastoise, overpower it and use Hydro Cannon!" Blastoise's cannons shot out a massive gush of water at Magmortar, hurling it across the battle field and causing it to faint.

"Magmortar is unable to battle, Blastoise is the winner" the referee said as a smile was brought back to Gary's face.

"Well done Blastoise, just one more to go and then we're into the next round" Gary was then haunted by the thoughts on what that pokemon was.

"Return Magmortar, you did very well, you got him just where I want him" Sam thanked his pokemon as Gary looked at him confused. _What position am I in exactly? What is he talking about?_ Gary's thoughts were then halted by Sam throwing out his pokeball. "Machamp, it's up to you now."

"Mach-amp" The brawny pokemon once again sends the crowd cheering.

"Ladies and gentleman what an exciting match we have here, both trainers are down to their last pokemon with neither of them giving an inch" the announcer called out as the crowd watched carefully in anticipation.

"Gary's Blastoise has taken damage…and well…I don't know how he would get out of this frankly" May frowned as she lowered her head. Drew and Dawn quickly turned to her.

"That's not the spirit, we'll just have to encourage him 'til the very end" Drew said whilst smiling at May as she smiled back at him. "Go on Gary, you can do it!" Drew shouted out from the stands.

"Come on Gary!" Dawn followed his example as soon Delia, Professor Oak, Tracey, Misty, May, Dawn and Drew were all encouraging him.

"Go on Gary, I know you can do it!" They all shouted at the same time as Gary was only just able to hear them, he looked around to see where the noise was coming from, but still retained his smile. _With friends like that, how can I lose?_

"Machamp, use Cross Chop!" The brawny pokemon ran at an incredible pace at Blastoise.

"OK Blastoise, slow him down a bit with Hydro Pump!" Blastoise unleashed a gush of water that slowed down Machamp's speed until it reached Blastoise.

"Now Blastoise, use Bite!" The turtle pokemon was finally gaining the advantage as it bites Machamp's arm.

"Mach-Mach-amp" The pokemon cries out in pain as it quickly retreats.

"Stay strong Machamp, use Dynamic Punch!" The weary Machamp clenches his fist as he runs towards Blastoise. The crowd fell silent, the unpredictability of both of the trainers was too much to handle, people were on the edge of their seats as they couldn't bear not to know what would happen next.

"Blastoise, dodge it quickly" Blastoise dodged it just in time as Blastoise ran quickly to the right. "Great, now finish it with Hydro Cannon!" Gary called his move out hoping it would be the decider, but in the last second, Sam called out a different attack.

"Machamp…Mimic" Machamp obeyed as water came out of nowhere and equalled Blastoise's attack. _His Machamp knows Mimic? He definitely knows how to surprise_, Gary's thoughts were cut short by Sam calling out his next command. "Machamp, use Cross Chop!" Machamp ran quickly to the tired Blastoise.

"Blastoise, block it!" Gary improvised, he thought that was the end, everyone thought it was the end as the audience were far from the edge of their seats. Incredibly, Blastoise catches Machamp's arms and stops it in its tracks.

"Great Blastoise, now use Bite three times!" Blastoise bites Machamp's right arm three times as Machamp retreats once more.

"Mach-aaamp" Machamp cries in pain as it grabs its bitten arm.

"This is it Blastoise, use Hydro Cannon!" Gary sensed it; with Machamp finally at a weak position it was now his time to strike.

"Blast-oise!" Blastoise shoots a powerful gush of water at Machamp.

"Wow, just look at that power" Tracey said admiringly as Machamp flies across the battle field and straight to the ground.

"Machamp is unable to battle! Blastoise is the winner, which means the victor and going onto the top 32 is Gary from Pallet Town!" The referee calls out as Gary couldn't hold in his joy, it was not like Gary to show so much excitement, but winning a battle when the odds are against you is enough for any trainer to be overjoyed.

"Yes! Top 32, here I come!" Gary punched the air as Blastoise came walking towards him. "Incredible Blastoise, I knew you could do it, I just knew you could!" Gary hugged the massive turtle pokemon as he still couldn't believe he turned the tables and achieved such a remarkable feat.

"Wow, he did it!" All of Gary's friends stood up clapping and cheering.

"What an amazing battle that was, when it seemed that it couldn't get any worse for Gary, he somehow makes a victory out of it, very well done" Brock congratulated him whilst smiling at his friend.

"Ladies and gentleman, what a way to kick off the tournament! Gary from Pallet Town has advanced to the second round of the tournament! So stick around for more battles!" The announcer called out in excitement as the crowd began chanting Gary's name.

"Gary! Gary! Gary!" Feeling slightly embarrassed, he lets go of his Blastoise and walks to the middle of the battlefield where Sam was.

"Great battle Sam, you truly were an unpredictable opponent, and definitely worthy of qualifying for The Rivalry Tournament!" Gary smiled as he shown as soft complimenting side that wasn't often seen.

"You too Gary, but you're not done yet" Sam's comment surprised Gary as the smile was wiped from his face.

"What do you mean Sam?" Gary asked him.

"You are no doubt an excellent trainer, but you have a lot of work to do. I noticed that what you thought was going well for you, wasn't going well for me, and then all of a sudden the tables are turned and the odds are against you. You have to work out your strategy and predict what your opponent is predicting, only then will you get any further in the tournament, you only won because you have great faith in your pokemon that is unmatched by any trainer I've seen, but that is not enough to win against some of the other people in this tournament" Sam turned away and started walking towards his locker room, "but you're better than me, so congratulations and good luck" Sam finalised his sentence as he kept walking towards the gate. Meanwhile Gary stood in the centre of the arena gobsmacked, _did he just say I wasn't good enough to win and that I was predictable? _Gary didn't know whether to smack him or to punch him, but he restrained himself as he thought more deeply about what he said. _But he's right, I have to predict what my opponent is predicting, that battle was a fluke, but now that I have a second chance, I know that I'm going to make it all the way now_. Gary smiled again as he returned his Blastoise and walked towards his locker room. The crowd still were chanting his name as he exited the battlefield.

"Come on guys, let's congratulate him!" Tracey suggested as everyone walked off one by one.

"I still find it hard to believe that Ash would miss a battle that determined whether one of his closest friends is going to make it to the next part of the tournament" Misty said slightly solemnly.

"He's probably working out some tactics for his battle later" Tracey smiled at Misty reassuringly.

**Meanwhile, in Ash's room…**

Ash was in his bed fast asleep with a smile on his face and his yellow mouse pokemon lying next to him. _Isn't it great to finally get some rest, and some more sleep, _Ash thought to himself as he remembered his nightmare._ What was going on in that dream? And then there she was…I couldn't stop looking at her, maybe that girl in the dream is the one I really do love, but I just may not know it yet. _Ash woke up from him thoughts as he quickly checked the time as he didn't want to oversleep again and be late for his battle.

"Now look who's on time" Ash said to himself with a smug look on his face. He got out of bed, careful not to wake up the electric mouse as he walked around his room aimlessly. "I better get on with some tactics and strategies now" he walked over to Pikachu who was sleeping peacefully. "Pikachu, wake up, no time to be sleeping, we have a battle in a just a couple of hours."

**Meanwhile, Drew, May, Brock, Dawn, Delia, Professor Oak, Tracey and Misty went to see Gary in his locker room…**

Gary had a smile on his face as he watched his friends walk towards him.

"Hey guys, how are you?" Gary said happily.

"We're great Gary" they all responded in an equally cheerful voice.

"Great battle by the way Gary, you were amazing, your technique and your never say die attitude really helped you" Brock complimented him as Gary smiled.

"Yeah, to be honest, at one point, I thought that Sam may just scrape past you, but you stood your ground and you won incredibly, definitely one of the best battles I've ever seen in my life" Professor Oak also complimented his grandson.

"Thanks Grandpa" Gary said, "what would I do without friends like you guys?" Gary said rhetorically as everyone felt a little more important.

"Well anyway Gary, it was an amazing battle, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time" Dawn further complimented Gary's battle.

"Well, I can't take all the credit, my pokemon were really the stars of the show" Gary said modestly, he didn't often show his modest side, but cares about his pokemon too much.

"Yeah, your pokemon were amazing, they were obviously trained by the very best" Tracey stated. "To bad Ash and Max couldn't watch it, they have no idea what they just missed"

Gary's smile was wiped from his face. "You mean, Ash and Max didn't see me?" The mood in the room sank as it fell silent for a couple of seconds.

"Well… Ash said that he needs to get some strategies and tactics done, and Max's battle started not long after yours" Dawn looked at her Poketch, "oh no! Max's battle has already started, come on let's go quick!" Dawn was the first to leave the room in haste as everyone soon followed leaving Gary in the room. _Ash didn't watch me battle, why? _He took a brief moment to think why but soon realizing that everyone has left him in the locker room. _Oh forget it, Ash is always one to be more than prepared_, Gary thought to himself as he ran to catch up with the rest of the group as they were late for Max's battle.

**Just a few minutes later…**

"Well folks, our two competitors, Max and Callum are down to their last pokemon each, who will be the winner?" The announcer called out as Gary and co. sat down in their seats.

"Hope we haven't missed much" May said worriedly, she really wanted to see her brother do well.

"I'm sure Max will save us the best 'til last" Drew assured May, Drew knew Max especially well after all the times they have met up at May's contests. Max was at one side of the battle field looking extremely calm, his opponent however was more the opposite.

"Gardevoir, I choose you!" Max released his beautiful psychic pokemon that appeared to levitate above the ground majestically.

"Typhlosion, go!" Whilst Callum decides to release his volcano pokemon.

"Gardevoir, use Wish" Max said casually, he was trying to act calm, but he still knew how important winning this battle is and he didn't give an inch.

"Why is Max using Wish so early, Gardevoir hasn't taken any damage yet" Dawn asked. Sam's words came to Gary's mind.

"He's predicting what his opponent is predicting" Gary said recalling Sam's words.

"Huh?" Dawn looked at him in a confused way.

"Max knows that his opponent is going to attack him and do some damage, and because Wish doesn't take effect until after a couple of turns, Gardevoir would heal itself without the need of using a turn" Gary explained as Dawn smiled at his intellect.

"Wow, that's pretty smart" she acknowledged.

"Typhlosion, use Flamethrower!"

"Stop it with Psychic!" Gardevoir's eyes lit up as the Flamethrower stops in mid-air. "Now surround Typhlosion with it!" Max smiled as his plan was coming together. Gardevoir morphed Typhlosion's Flamethrower into a fiery prison as Typhlosion cannot see Gardevoir through its own attack.

"Yes, that's going in my contests!" Drew said admiring Max's masterpiece.

"Rollout!" Callum instinctively told his pokemon as Typhlosion broke out his fiery prison and hurled its body at Gardevoir sending it back to her side of the battle field.

"Stay strong Gardevoir!" Max reassured his pokemon as Wish took its effect as a Gardevoir was able to stand up straight again without any damage done.

"Wow, so the Wish really did pay off for Max in the end" Dawn acknowledged admiringly.

"Very skilful of Max, thinking way ahead of the rest" Drew complimented him once more.

"Gardevoir, finish it with Psychic", the spirit pokemon once again mentally grabs Typhlosion and hurls it across the battle field causing it to faint.

"Typhlosion is unable to battle, Gardevoir is the winner, and the victor and advancing through to the second round of the competition is Max Maple from Petalburg City" the referee called out as the crowd clapped and cheered Max, who also couldn't hold in his excitement.

"Yes, I did it! Next round, I'm waiting for you!" Max said whilst running to his Gardevoir, "great job Gardevoir, I'm incredibly proud of you", Max's Gardevoir rarely spoke, yet her smile was her way of showing her appreciation.

"Yes! Go Max!" May cried out from the stands as the rest followed her example.

"Way to go Max!" Gary shouted, he knew how great it was to beat someone of such a high level. Max walked to the middle of the battle field with his Gardevoir as he met Callum and his Typhlosion.

"You battled well Max, I certainly didn't expect to be going against such a tough opponent such as you and your Gardevoir" Callum stated, he looked the same age as Max, yet his use lower voice and use of language says otherwise.

"Wow thanks Callum, I'm gonna go all the way!" Max clenched his fist and smiled.

"Just remember though" Callum stopped Max from getting carried away. "These trainers are not easy trainers, they battled hard to get where they are, and no one is going to give an inch, so stay alert, and do your research" Callum said whilst walking away imitating the same advice as Sam, but the use of different words made it sound unique. Max stood still in the middle of the battle field for a couple of seconds as he took a moment to think about what Callum said to him. _He's right, every move is crucial, I don't need to just practice, I need to think beyond strategies, _Max ended his thoughts as he began walking back to his locker room.

"Come on guys, let's go meet up with him" Tracey said once again as he lead the way towards Max's locker room.

**Meanwhile, in Ash's room…**

"OK guys, we have a big battle coming up in just an one hour time, I've invented plenty of scenarios that good ol' predictable Morrison is going to try, so it's just a matter of trying them out" Ash said confidently as he looked at his team of pokemon. "No way can we lose now!"

**Back in the locker room…**

Max was leaning against a wall thinking to himself on how he could prepare for the next round. Max was always one to be several steps ahead.

"Hey Max!" May ran in as she hugged her younger brother.

"Hey May, did you see me out there?" Max asked, he was still recovering from his happiness overload from the battle.

"Of course we seen you, we all seen you" May replied as Max scanned the group.

"Hey, its Drew!" Max noticed the green haired boy as he seem to stand considerably close to May.

"Hey Max, great battle by the way, your Gardevoir is extremely powerful no doubt" Drew complimented his young friend as Max once again scanned the group.

"Thanks a lot Drew, but where's Ash?" Max had a sad expression on his face.

"Well, you know what he's like, he just can't be too prepared for battle" Tracey replied to Max.

"Oh…that's a shame, cause… I really wanted Ash to see me battle" Max lowered his head as May hugged him once again.

"I'm sure he will see you battle next time, also his battle is in about one hour time, so you can hardly blame him," May took a moment to remember her battle with Ash and their moment that they had after the battle. _Not long to go Ash, I just can't wait 'til you ask me to the dance_, May's confidence was through the roof, her all or nothing attitude toward Ash had taken over her.

**So what is the correlation between Drew and May? How will Gary and Max cope with Sam and Callum's advice? How will "prepared" Ash do against his friend Morrison? Is Tracey really out of the red with Kenny? And will May get even closer to Ash?**

**All the questions will be answered in the next few chapters, it's surprising how many pages a battle fills up. Unfortunately, this chapter doesn't really contain many shippings, just a lot of story development, but hey, we have Drew now, which should add tensions to a bit of love.**

**Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story and please remember to review, it really does mean a lot. Oh and sorry if you see any spelling mistakes or crappy grammar, or just if this chapter is crap.**

**Next chapter is coming up soon, so stick around and remember to R&R, Thanks a lot. **


	6. Not going alone

**The 6****th**** chapter, I'm not going to give away any spoilers, but you can probably guess what's going to happen. I tried to include Kenny a little more for those fans who want to see evil Kenny.**

**Thanks for your previous reviews, it really does motivate me, and remember to R&R **

**Enjoy.**

**A few hours later, at Ash's battle…**

"Welcome ladies and gentleman to the 15th battle of the first round of The Rivalry Tournament held right here at The Indigo Plateau!" The crowd roared in excitement as Delia, Professor Oak, Brock, Drew, May, Dawn, Misty and Tracey stood up to cheer Ash.

"Go Ash!" Dawn yelled from her seat, she didn't expect Ash to hear her though.

"The two trainers you see before you are going to battle it out for a place in the top 32 and the second round of the tournament, now let's welcome those trainers!"

"I wonder if Ash is prepared" Gary looked carefully at him.

"He's been preparing all day, he should beat Morrison by a landslide" May reassured Gary. "You can do it Ash!"

"On the right, we have Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, facing off against Morrison from Verdanturf Town!" The announcer roared out as the crowd cheered on the trainers. "It will be a 3 on 3 battle, with no time limits, begin!" The referee announced as both Morrison and Ash had a smile on their face that simply said: I'm not going to lose to someone like you. _Morrison is good, but I have ways of getting round that_, Ash thought to himself as he grabbed his first pokeball.

"Swampert, go!" Morrison let out his Swampert with a smug grin on his face. "You certainly remember Swampert don't you Ash?" Ash remembered all of Morrison's pokemon like it was yesterday. _Just as I thought_, Ash thought to himself cleverly, he already knew what Morrison was going to do, and he had the right pokemon for the job.

"Sceptile, I choose you!" Ash threw his pokeball across the battle field to release his green reptile pokemon.

"Sceptiile!"

"Swampert doesn't stand a chance against Ash's Sceptile" Dawn said knowingly.

"Swampert, use Focus Punch!" Swampert crawled its way hastily towards Ash's Sceptile, who stood still waiting for a command.

"Sceptile, jump high in the air and use Quick attack!" Ash said as his reptile pokemon launched itself high in the air before diving into Swampert.

"Definitely a great way to dodge a powerful move like Focus Punch, but Swampert doesn't look like it's taken much damage from it" Misty pointed out as everyone thought about what she said.

"You're right actually, but Ash has his reasons" Brock reminded Misty.

"Swampert, use Hydro Pump!" Morrison used Hydro Pump despite knowing it isn't going to have much of an effect on a grass type such as Sceptile.

"Sceptile, Leaf Storm!" Ash told his pokemon as Sceptile summoned a barrage of leaves and aimed them straight at Swampert.

"No! Swampert!" Morrison begged his pokemon was OK as the Leaf Storm looked like it hit hard on Swampert. Against the odds, Swampert stood strong. "Quick Swampert, return!" Morrison played it safe as Swampert retreated to its pokeball.

"Looks like Ash is winning!" May smiled as she jumped up and down, Drew looked at her and frowned slightly. _She's interested in him, isn't she?_

"You return too Sceptile, great job!" Ash also returned his pokemon into his pokeball as he waited for Morrison to make his next move.

"Arcanine, go!" Morrison revealed his second pokemon to be Arcanine.

"I see it evolved, but no worries. Pikachu" Ash looked down at his yellow mouse pokemon. "Let's show him how much we've changed" Ash smiled as he looked as his trusty friend. "Pikachu, I choose you!"

"So Ash sends out Pikachu, no surprise, he wants to save his Sceptile for when Swampert comes back" Gary said, he also used the same method in his first round battle.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash called out.

"PIKA-CHUUUU!" The thunderous attack shoots its way towards Arcanine electrifying it.

"Pikachu's electric attacks have certainly got stronger haven't they" May said admiringly.

"Noone goes away for 6 months without training their best pokemon" Brock replied jokingly.

"Arcanine, hang in there and use Flamethrower!" Morrison changed his battle strategy.

"Pikachu, counter it with Volt Tackle!" Pikachu's electric charged quick attack pierces through Arcanine's Flamethrower. "Now Pikachu, Iron Tail!" Pikachu's tail illuminated as it slammed Arcanine in its face hurling the fire type right across the battle field.

"Arcanine, return!" Morrison retreated as he saw that his beloved Arcanine was hurt from the devastating attack. "Swampert, it's up to you again!" Swampert was released as Morrison smiled, _Electric type moves don't work on Swampert, so I should be fine_. Despite this though, Swampert looked tired from its previous battle against Sceptile.

"OK Pikachu, Thunder attacks won't do any damage to him" Ash reminded his trusty pokemon. "Use Iron Tail!"

"Swampert, use Protect!" Swampert was surrounded by an impenetrable aura that stopped Pikachu from using its attack. "Great Swampert, now use Hydro Pump!" Morrison saw an opportunity as Ash and Pikachu were not expecting such a fast response.

"Pikachu, block it with Thunderbotl!"

"PIKA-CHUUUU!" Pikachu unleashes a powerful thunderbolt that equalled the power of Swampert's attack.

"Pikachu, return!" Ash retreated; he knew that if he had got close, Swampert would just use Protect over and over again. _Swampert has a weakness, and I have it_s _enemy,_ "Sceptile, I choose you!" Ash once again let out his grass type.

"Now, use Leaf Storm!" Sceptile launched itself high in the air, once again summoning countless leaves and aiming them straight at Swampert.

"Swampert! Hang in there!" Morrison panicked as he watched his pokemon take several powerful hits from Leaf Storm. _I have to do something, one more hit and I'm done for_, Morrison's thought spoke sense to him. "Swampert, use Hydro Pump!" Morrison watched as he could see that his pokemon struggled to move, yet Swampert mustered the energy as a gush of water was finding its way to Sceptile.

"Dodge Sceptile, and finish it with Leaf Blade!" Sceptile jumped high in the air as it illuminated the leaf blades on its arms and hastily slashed Swampert.

"Swampert!" Morrison watched helplessly as the grass type slashes one of his pokemon.

"Swampert is unable to battle! Sceptile wins!" The referee called out as the crowd roared in excitement.

"Way to go Sceptile!" Dawn shouted out from the stands.

"Go Ash!" Everyone followed Dawn's example and cheered on Ash, who was only just able to hear what they were saying, but could not find them in the stands as he aimlessly looked around.

"Oh well, Sceptile, great job!" Ash complimented his pokemon as he turned back to the battle.

"Arcanine, go!" Morrison once again let out his Arcanine as Ash left in Sceptile despite the type disadvantage.

"Interesting plan Morrison, but I'm not going to fall for any tricks" Ash said as he tried to intimidate Morrison.

"That's what you think. Arcanine, Flamethrower!" Morrison commanded his pokemon as the weary fire type let out an incredibly powerful super effective attack.

"Sceptile, use Quick Attack!" Sceptile's speed ensured he was able to get away from Arcanine as the powerful reptile quickly sped itself crashing into Arcanine.

"Hang in there Arcanine, use Flamethrower once more!" Ash watched as his predictable opponent helplessly repeat his attacks.

"Finish him off with Leaf Blade Sceptile!" Ash told his pokemon, they both knew the common fact that grass type attacks don't do much damage to fire types, despite this though, Sceptile dodges Arcanine's flamethrower and again slashes Arcanine with its illuminated blades causing it to faint.

"Arcanine is unable to battle, Sceptile is the winner!" Ash smiled at his incredibly powerful pokemon as Morrison looked at his fainted on the battle field in despair. _A grass type, defeating a fire type? That Sceptile sure is something_.

"And Arcanine is down. Ash's Sceptile sure will be tough to counter" the announcer made itself clear as everyone looked admiringly at Ash's Sceptile.

"Wow, Sceptile beat two of Morisson's pokemon?" Max couldn't believe his eyes, he always knew that Sceptile was one of Ash's powerhouses, yet he was unaware how much more powerful it had become over the last 6 months.

"Sure, Ash's Sceptile is looking great, but now Ash has to go against one his negative traits" Brock stated as everyone looked towards him questionably.

"Overconfidence" they all turned the other way as Gary answered it for him. "Ash gets over confident really easily, and being over confident can cause you to make careless mistakes, Ash just has to be careful."

"Return Sceptile, you were incredible, now get some rest" Ash looked at his opponent who appeared frozen with fear of going out of the tournament. "You know Morrison, you sure are putting up a big fight, I know you're not going down easily" Ash tried his best to make his friend feel good about himself.

"Thanks Ash, but you don't know my next pokemon" Morrison said whilst smiling cunningly. "Metagross, get ready to battle!" The steel pokemon made its mark on the stadium as the crowd began to cheer for the pseudo-legendary pokemon.

"Pikachu, I choose you!" Ash's Pikachu leapt onto the battle field. _With already Morrison having two pokemon down, I should win this easily_, Ash began to show his overconfident side. "OK Pikachu, begin with Thunderbolt!"

"PIKA-CHUUUU!" The electric mouse let out a signature Thunderbolt attack that struck Metagross.

"Direct hit! That should really do some damage!" Dawn watched as Pikachu's powerful attack illuminated Metagross.

"Maybe, but Metagross is a powerful pokemon, and with a powerful trainer like Morrison, it should be no easy victory" Brock warned Dawn.

"Metagross, shake it off and use Confusion!" Metagross's eyes began to glow a light red colour as its metallic body was outlined in blue.

"Pikachu, use Volt Tackle!" Pikachu failed to use Volt Tackle as the electric mouse levitated and glowed.

"Great Metagross, now!" Morrison smiled as Pikachu was hurled across the battle field by an invisible force.

"Pikachu! Are you OK?" Ash restrained himself from stepping onto the battle field as Pikachu got up slowly . "Hang in there Pikachu! Can't be too long now" Ash reassured his pokemon.

"Wrong again Ash, Metagross, use Take Down!" The steel pokemon charged at the weary Pikachu.

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" Pikachu tried his best to dodge the attack aswell as counter, but Metagross's speed and power was too quick for Pikachu as it was once again hurled across the arena.

"OK Metagross, finish it off with Meteor Mash!" Metagross pulled its arm back and punches Pikachu with an incredible force, causing pink, yellow and orange particles to come out of Metagross's hand at impact.

"Pikachu is unable to battle, Metagross is the winner" Morrison grinned at his first victory.

"Well done Metagross, only two more to go".

"Me-ta", Ash stepped onto the battle field to pick up his fallen friend. "I'm sorry Pikachu, it was my fault, but you battled bravely".

"Ash has just lost his first pokemon in the competition, but Morrison still trails behind, will he be able to catch up" the announcer kept everyone in suspense as the crowd admired the powerful Metagross.

"Ash's Pikachu lost…how?" Max observed from the stands.

"Pikachu was fairly tired from facing Arcanine earlier ago, not to mention Ash may be getting a little over-confident" Tracey analysed wisely. "But Ash still has Sceptile and one more pokemon that hasn't even battled yet."

Ash grabbed his second pokeball as Pikachu lay on the floor beside him. "Don't worry Pikachu, Morrison isn't going to win this" Ash said whilst feeling a little responsible for Pikachu fainting.

"Well Ash, looks like I'm gonna win!" Morrison said cheekily.

"Not just yet Morrison, Sceptile, I choose you!" Ash once again let out his grass pokemon.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but grass types don't have much effect on steel types right?" May didn't point the question at anyone in particular.

"True, Metagross has the advantage, but why doesn't Ash just use his final pokemon?" Drew answered as he looked at the grass type.

"Sceptile looks tired, I hope it's OK" Delia looked from the stands.

"OK Sceptile, use Leaf Storm!" Sceptile summoned countless leaves and directed them at Metagross.

"OK Metagross, use Flash Cannon!" Morrison's commands were all going to plan as Metagross's Flash Cannon goes right through the Leaf Storm and hitting Sceptile.

"No! Sceptlie!" Ash pleaded that his pokemon was still able to battle. "Come on Sceptile, get up!" Ash watched his pokemon simply lie on the battle field motionless. "Sceptile…" _Come on Sceptile, I know you can do better than this, I know you're tired, but you just have to get up_.

"Sceptile is unable to…" The referee stopped in his speech as the green forest pokemon raised an arm. The crowd gasped at the sheer determination of the powerful pokemon.

"You can do it Sceptile!" Ash begged as the crowd fell silent and watched the struggling Sceptile attempt to stand up. "Come one Sceptile, you're almost there, I know you can do it!"

"Scep-tile" Sceptile was surrounded by a green aura as Sceptile magically appeared to be able to stand up again.

"Incredible, Sceptile's ability Overgrow is taking effect, only when Sceptile is near the end of its endurance does Overgrow be activated" the announcer said as the crowd watched the marvellous spectacle.

"I knew you could do it Sceptile!" Ash thanked his pokemon as Sceptile stood up coated in his green aura.

"Be careful Metagross, Sceptile is stronger than ever!" Morrison warned his pokemon calmly.

"Me-ta"

"OK Sceptile, let's show him how strong we've become! Use Quick Attack!" Ash commanded his pokemon as the grass type launched itself in the air and quickly hit Metagross.

"Wow! What speed!" Professor Oak noted as Sceptile performed a powerful Quick Attack on Metagross.

"Great, now use Leaf Blade!" The pokemon jumped high in the air and shot itself at the robotic pokemon with its illuminated blades.

"Great job Sceptile, now finish it with Solarbeam!" Sceptile gathered energy from the seeds on its back and then fired a white beam from its mouth towards Metagross. _Yes! The second round! I'm there!_ Ash's thoughts were cut short though by Morrison's command.

"Flash Cannon…" Morrison told his pokemon calmly as Metagross let out silver ball of energy that headed straight to Sceptile. The collision involving the two attacks caused a huge explosion in the middle of the battle field, the crowd watched in anticipation as they sat at the edge of their seats.

"Sceptile's Solarbeam collided with Metagross's powerful Flash cannon attack to cause a massive explosion, but will win?" The announcer called out as the explosion's smoke hides the two pokemon from their trainers and the rest of the crowd.

"This is gonna be close" May looked carefully at the smoke, but she couldn't see a thing.

"Sceptile has Overgrow activated though, so it should win easily" Misty comfortably said.

"Not necessarily, grass type moves are weak against steel types, and not to mention, Sceptile is really tired from battling earlier" Tracey replied. "It will be close." As the smoke cleared up, Morrison and Ash could see the outlines of their pokemon.

"Yes! Well done Sceptile! Now use Leaf Blade!" Ash jumped for joy as he thought that it wasn't long until Metagross would faint, but Sceptile didn't move. "Sceptile…?"

"Metagross, Take Down!" Metagross didn't move an inch either. As the smoke cleared up, the two pokemon were still standing.

"Did they miss?" Brock wondered. "Or are they still strong enough to fight?"

"Come on Sceptile, use Leaf Blade!" Ash was slightly frustrated; he could taste victory and the second round. _I understand that you've been fighting really hard Sceptile, but just listen to me_.

"Metagross, Take Down, now!" Morrison was also slightly frustrated. _I'm not going out of the tournament in the very first round, now come on Metagross_. Neither pokemon acted, instead stood still.

"Me-ta"

"Scep-tiiiillee" Sceptile fell to the floor as he ached in pain from Metagross's powerful Flash Cannon.

"Sceptile no!" Ash supplicated, but it was no use, he was down to his final pokemon.

"Sceptile is unable to battle, Metagross wins" Morrison couldn't hold in his excitement.

"Yes! Well done Metagross! Only one more to go now!" Morrison thanked his pokemon.

"Return Sceptile, I'm sorry I pushed you, but we'll win. Glalie, I choose you!" Ash returned the fallen Sceptile as he revealed his final pokemon to be Glalie. "So Morrison, you remember last time these two fought, right?" Ash said whilst trying to taunt Morrison. He remembered the battle between his Metang and Ash's Glalie like it was yesterday.

"Glaliiee" Glalie stared at the robotic pokemon.

"Me-ta"

"This is tense, steel types resist ice type moves, and steel type moves are strong against ice types" Gary stated, "but Metagross has taken a lot of damage, I'm amazed at how strong it is."

"Glalie, use Ice Beam" Ash was aware of the low damage that would cause on Metagross, but he also remembered that Metagross has been battling for a long time and must be very tired.

"Metagross, block it!" Morrison told his pokemon as the robotic arms shielded Metagross from the powerful Ice Beam. "Great job, now use Meteor Mash!"

"Glalie, Double Team!" Ash tactfully told his pokemon as Glalie multiplied himself.

"Find the real one Metagross, quickly!" Metagross looked left and right as several copies of the ice type surrounded Metagross.

"Glalie, use Ice Beam once more!" The hoard of Glalie all used Ice Beam simultaneously with only one striking Metagross.

"Wow, we sure have an incredible battle here, but who will win this close match?"

"I just can't imagine Ash going out in the first round, he's got to win" Misty said.

"Ash isn't the kind of person to give up in the very first battle" Tracey added.

"Metagross, use Meteor Mash!" Morrison's pokemon punched Glalie with its metal arm as Glalie was tossed to the other side of the arena.

"Glalie, hang in there and use Ice Beam again!" The ice type discharged a mighty Ice Beam at Metagross.

"Just look at that power, and it appears one of Metagross's legs have been frozen" the announcer said as Morrison watched in fear.

"Amazing job Glalie, now finish it with a spinning Headbutt!" Ash used the decisive attack that beat Morrison last time they battled.

"Oh no you don't, Metagross, use Meteor Mash, full power!" Metagross wasn't able to move, but Morrison still commanded his pokemon as the spinning Headbutt of Glalie collided with the incredible attack power of Metagross's arm causing an explosion with neither trainer able to see their pokemon.

"That sure was a powerful collision, both pokemon looked like they really gave it their all" Professor Oak stated as the cloud of smoke still hadn't cleared up yet.

"The smoke is beginning to clear up, both trainers really gave it their all, but which trainer just gave that little bit more?" Everyone sat at the very end of their seats and watched two silhouettes appear in the smoke.

"Metagross! Use Meteor Mash once more!" Morrison felt that he could beat Ash, but Metagross wasn't able to obey and fell to the ground.

"Metagross is unable to battle, Glalie wins, and as Morrison has used up all 3 of his pokemon, the winner and moving onto the second round of the tournament is Ash from Pallet Town!"

"There you have it folks, Ash Ketchum has defeated his opponent Morrison and has advanced to the next round to the tournament" the announcer called out as everyone got off their seats and cheered Ash.

"Yes! We did it guys!" Ash punched the air as he ran towards his pokemon with a huge smile on his face. "Thanks a lot Glalie, return" Ash thanked his pokemon as he looked up to see Morrison doing the same thing.

"Return Metagross, you did well" Morrison said solemnly, he was happy for how well his pokemon did, but sad that he lost in the very first round.

"Yes! Well done Ash!" Dawn shouted loudly from the stands as everyone around her cheered and clapped.

"Well done Ash! Now me, Gary and Ash have all made it into the second round" Max said excitedly.

"Hey Morrison, great battle, you and your pokemon really have improved" Ash tried his best to make his friend feel better. "Especially your Metagross" Ash giggled.

"But I still lost, and in the first round" Ash's advice didn't work as he hoped as Morrison still felt sad.

"Well Morrison, it just means you'll have to try harder and get stronger" Ash smiled at him as Morrison smiled back.

"Your right Ash, I'm only going to get better, and when we meet again, I'll challenge you to battle" Morrison had already planned ahead as they both smiled at each other. "And then I'll win!"

"Oh yeah, well we'll see" Ash said not giving an inch. "I'll see you around Ash" Morrison said whilst turning around.

"You too Morrison" Ash said goodbye to his friend as he and his Pikachu smiled at him.

"Pika-Pika", despite the fact that Ash could not speak the same language as Pikachu, Ash knew exactly what Pikachu said.

"I know Pikachu, we're into the next round, but to beat the people in the next round, we have to get stronger and you know what that means!" Ash looked on his shoulder to see Pikachu with a confused face.

"Pi-ka?" Pikachu said innocently.

"It means no lie-ins and when we have spare time, we train and then train some more, until we have finally won The Rivalry Cup" Ash said enthusiastically as he entered his locker room. Pikachu sighed as he jumped off Ash's shoulder. "You battled bravely today Pikachu, I'm proud of you, but Morrison is the easiest it's gonna get, so we're going to have to get better" Ash told his trusted friend.

**A couple of minutes later, in the locker room…**

"Great battle Ash!" Tracey said whilst walking in, he was followed by the rest of the group.

"Ash! You were amazing!" May and Dawn ran up and tackle hugged him with Ash only just able to stay on his feet. They both looked at Ash dreamily as their eyes sparkled and their pupils dilated at the sight of him.

"Ash! That was an amazing battle!" Dawn hugged Ash a little harder than May.

"OK girls, errr…thanks" Ash said, he blushed slightly and was embarrassed.

"You did well Ash, so you know, me and Max made it through to the second round aswell" Gary complimented him.

"Congratulations, and sorry I wasn't there at your battles" Ash apologised, from the way May, Dawn and Misty described it to him earlier; he wished he hadn't missed any of their battles.

"That's OK Ash, I heard you were thinking of some new strategies" Gary said. "Well it certainly paid off, that battle was a once in a lifetime thing to see" Gary further complimented Ash.

"Oh Ash, my sweet boy, look what you've grown into" Delia walked up to him and tightly hugged him.

"Err…mom?" Ash struggled for air as his mother didn't hear a word he said.

"I always knew that you would become great", Delia eventually let go as Ash was able to breathe again.

"Thanks…Mom, anything…to make you happy" Ash said whilst replenishing the air in his lungs.

"Anyway guys, we should head back to our hotels" Tracey suggested as he walked out with Misty and the rest following them. Dawn and May stayed close to Ash as they both stood either side of him. Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder and decided to walk with Marill and Piplup.

"Err…girls…what exactly are you doing?" Ash asked them as he showed them his dense side once again. He noticed that they were walked very close to him.

"Well Ash, I was thinking that because you really have been trying so hard today, I thought it would be a good idea to keep you company" May said, it was obvious that she had been practising her mini-speech as she said it so well.

"Yeah, I thought was thinking the same thing" Dawn summarised what May said as the group were walking through the lobby at The Indigo Plateau.

"Hey look it's Ash!" Ash was surrounded by screaming fans, annoying photographers and wanna-be trainers.

"Ash, can you give me some tips?"

"Ash, how about a picture?"

"I love you Ash!" The comment immediately caught the eye of May and Dawn as they scanned the crowd for where that voice came from.

"So Ash, which one of these is your girlfriend?" A reporter stepped in front of the crowd with a pen and paper.

"Well…errr…" Ash hesitated as Dawn and May both hugged Ash's sides whilst smiling for the camera.

"Or are both of them your…" Ash interrupted him, he blushed which caused his face to turn redder than a tomato. He quickly turned away in embarrassment as photographers kept on taking photos of him.

"No…I mean…err…" Ash knew what he wanted so say, but couldn't put it into words. "Come on, let's go" Ash told to May and Dawn as the photographer and few of the fans followed him. Ash looked behind and started to walk a little faster as he watched the reporter catch up with him.

"Electivire, stop them" Gary let out his powerful pokemon as the reporter's path was blocked.

"Excuse me" the reporter politely said as he tried to walk to the right of the Electivire.

"Block the way Electivire" Gary waited behind as the rest of the group continued to move out of sight from the fans and photographers.

"Thank you Gary" Ash whispered to himself as his cheeks turned back to its normal colour. "What are they all doing there? It's just a first round battle" Ash protested.

"Look Mom, it's him!" A young boy from walking the opposite direction to Ash pointed at him. "It's the trainer who defeated Darkrai and Latios!" Ash didn't want to ignore the young boy, but the rest of the group were kept walking so Ash waved back at him politely. _Defeated Darkrai and Latios, that must be Tobias's Latios and Darkrai. _Ash slowed his pace as Dawn and May began to slow down.

"Something on your mind Ash?" Dawn tried not to mention the reporter's question as she didn't want to embarrass him.

"That kid said I was the trainer who defeated Tobias's Darkrai and Latios" Ash said.

"Hmm…you don't suppose that's why all the reporters are here?" Dawn asked.

"It could be, Ash is one of the top favourites to win the tournament. But Tobias is number one by a mile" Drew said. "Beating two legendary pokemon that belong to such a powerful trainer such as Tobias really isn't something just anyone can do."

"I totally agree, Ash is a one in a million trainer" May said as she and Dawn hugged Ash from either side, once again making it uncomfortable for Drew to watch, but nowhere near as uncomfortable for someone who was watching them.

"Dawn is still into Ash…and Tracey just stands there and does nothing" Kenny was hiding behind a tree as he watched the action from distance. "You better do something Tracey or…well you know don't you."

"Kenny? Is that you?" Gary approached the young co-ordinator from behind.

"Err…hi Gary, great to see you", Kenny said, he was startled as he didn't think anyone would see him. "I watched your match by the way, you were amazing" Kenny flattered Gary, but Gary thought something was up.

"Thanks Kenny", there was a brief silence as Gary started talking again "So, what you doing?" Gary looked at him suspiciously. "Just playin' hide and seek or you thought you would have a quick rest?" Gary suggested him excuses jokingly, but he didn't expect Kenny to use them.

"Err…yeah, I was just resting" Kenny improvised as he started walking away. "Well, I don't want to waste your time, so I'll see you around" Kenny walked away with haste. _Then why was he looking at Ash and Dawn?_ Gary thought to himself as he looked up to his pokemon.

"Keep an eye on him Electivire, he could be up to something" Gary suspected as Electivire nodded. They both caught up with the rest of the group.

"Hey Gary, and thanks a lot back there" Ash thanked his old friend.

"It was no problem, me and Max didn't get that kind of attention when we won our matches" Gary said in a surprised way.

"I'm not sure why I've got so much attention" Ash said reluctantly, he was happy that he got attention, but with the reporters and the screaming girls, he wasn't hoping for that kind.

"Hey look, over there!" A group of children who look about 10 years old approached Ash.

"It's him! Ash can I have your autograph?" One of the kids held out a pen and paper as Ash looked at him bemused.

"O…K then" Ash slowly wrote his name on the piece of paper and handed it out. "May I ask why?"

The boy looked at him in a confused way.

"You are Ash Ketchum aren't you?"

"Yes, of course" Ash replied.

"And you're the trainer who beat Tobias's Darkrai and Latios right?" Ash smiled at the young boy as he remembered the moment when he defeated them both.

"Of course"

"Well then." The boy didn't say anything more as he and his friends walked off with the piece of paper.

"Tobias's Darkrai and Latios…" Ash slowly said to himself as Brock walked a little slower so he can join their conversation.

"You know Ash, no one has ever defeated Tobias's Darkrai and Latios apart from you" Brock said making Ash feel special. "It's been months since the Sinnoh League, and no one has defeated any of his pokemon since."

"You mean, he hasn't faced any of the elite 4 yet?" Dawn asked.

"I think he should be one of the elite 4" Ash murmured to himself.

"Not yet, I think he wants to retain his title of being unbeaten"

"Well, once I face him in this tournament, that's all going to change!" Ash said confidently.

"The fact that you have got the closest to beating him could be the reason why there were so many photographers and fans earlier ago. Not to mention you battled with Sceptile today, and he was the one who beat the Darkrai" Brock added. "If I were you, I would expect photographers and fans to be waiting for me everywhere I go" Brock smiled at Ash as Ash replied with a worried look.

"Oh man, at least we get the day off tomorrow" Ash smiled. It was getting late as the sunset sky was just above the hills, the group all stood and watched the incredible spectacle.

"I'm gonna head back to the hotel" Ash said as he yawned, it wasn't particularly late, but Ash thought that he needed to some rest.

"Yeah, I'll follow you" Gary and Max stood by Ash as the group parted ways.

"I'll see you all tomorrow" Delia, Professor Oak, Brock, Tracey and the three girls all parted with the boys.

"The second round doesn't begin 'til a day after tomorrow and we are told who we are up against tomorrow evening" Max informed Gary and Ash as they walked back to the hotel.

"Great, so we get a day to just relax" Ash sighed in relief.

"Or we can train…" Gary said reminding Ash that the tournament competitors are not your average trainer.

"Maybe you're right Gary, Morrison almost beat me today when I thought that I would win by a landslide" Ash said proving Gary's point.

"But I guess there's no harm in just relaxing for a few hours tomorrow" Gary gave in as he didn't want to work too hard either. _"Predict what your opponent is predicting" _Sam's words of wisdom rushed through Gary's mind. _I'll have to think about that later…_

**A few hours later at the guest's hotel…**

The moon was out as the sun hid behind it, the Pidgey that roamed the trees during the day were replaced by the nocturnal Hoothoots. May and Dawn were in their room waiting for Misty.

"Hey Dawn" May started a conversation with the bluenette. "You noticed that Misty was…you know…"

"You know…what?" Dawn said as she looked at May unknowingly.

"She's backing off Ash a little, you really haven't noticed?" May said.

"Errm, no, not really" Dawn replied, she was far too busy concentrating on Ash rather than her rivals.

"Yeah well she is, which means all the competition is wiped out, leaving me with Ash" she smiled joyfully as Dawn looked at her in disbelief.

"Ha! You wish, and besides, I noticed Drew was taking a bit of an interest in you" Dawn taunted her.

"Urgggh…I noticed myself, he's a good guy and a good friend, but…" May took a moment to find the right use of words. "He's not Ash, and I love Ash."

"I see…Drew and Ash are two completely different people, but you do have to admit, Drew is pretty cute" Dawn said.

"He is a bit I guess, but if you think he's so cute, why don't you just give up on Ash and ask Drew out to the dance?" May pressured Dawn.

"Simply because Drew loves you, not me" Dawn replied back calmly. "And I don't want to change what is already set in stone"

"Ah yes, words of wisdom from Dawn Berlitz, thank you" May said sarcastically as they both giggled until Misty entered the room.

"Hey, what's up?" She said happily.

"Oh, hi Misty, where have you been?" May and Dawn looked up as they greeted their friend.

"Oh, just nowhere. What have you been talking about then?" Misty had an intrigued look on her face. Both the girls completely forgot their conversation about Misty.

"Well, we were talking about Drew and about the fact that he loves…" Dawn was voice was silent as May quickly put her hand over her mouth.

"We were talking about how Drew loves…" May hesitated. "Drew loves chocolate…yeah."

"Really?" Misty looked at May in disbelief.

"Yes, of course" May replied adamantly.

"Drew doesn't like chocolate" Misty put it bluntly for May.

"Oh, really?" May said as she stared at Misty also in disbelief. "But…who doesn't like chocolate?"

"Drew for one" Misty said as Dawn was able to talk again.

"Even I knew that Drew doesn't like chocolate, and besides we were talking about Drew being in love with May" Dawn smiled cheekily.

"Oh yeah, I noticed that aswell" Misty also smiled at May. "Why don't you go for him then, he loves you, all you've got to do is love him back, and he is kind of cute to be honest."

"Yeah, but I love Ash" she replied. "Why don't you go for Drew if you think he's cute then?" May asked the same question to Misty.

"Because Drew loves you, and I can't just change that, nor am I going to" Misty replied with confidence. "Also, why were you acting strange to him today?" Misty had noticed how May was acting towards Drew.

"I think he's trying to get closer to me" May said reluctantly, "I don't want him to, because I love Ash and if Drew gets even closer to me , he would be heartbroken when I'm with Ash" May said caringly.

"Makes sense, except for the part when you said that you would be with Ash" Dawn winked at her. "Cos that's where I'm gonna be." The tensions between the girls were present again.

**With Brock and Tracey…**

Brock was deep in thought, _Should I tell Tracey that I seen Kenny? He looks pretty harmless to me._

"You look deep in thought Brock, something wrong?" Tracey asked.

"I seen Kenny earlier, I was going to talk to him, but he looked at me innocently, I couldn't imagine that someone like Kenny would do such a thing" Brock replied.

"But he did! I'm certain of it! Kenny is torturing me, and if you don't believe me, I don't know who I can go to" Tracey protested as Brock looked at him sympathetically.

"Well look Tracey, if it's not too much to ask for, I actually want to see him and you together" Brock tried to reason with him as Tracey looked at him.

"If that's what it really takes Brock, then OK." Tracey felt a little outraged that Brock requested proof, but it was better than doing nothing.

**A couple of hours later in the trainer's hotel…**

Pikachu lay next to his trainer fast asleep, but Ash's eyes were wide open. _Morrison today was tough, that Metagross is something else, Pikachu and Sceptile took a battering aswell, but that's the closest battle I will face because I will train harder with my pokemon._ He sat up and looked at his pokemon. _We're gonna make it Pikachu_; he reassured his pokemon as a sudden thought came to mind_, but to make it, I have to beat Tobias._

"And no one has ever got close to beating Tobias" Ash whispered to himself as he was careful enough to not wake Pikachu. "It will be tough, but we'll do it" Ash stroked his pokemon and closed his eyes.

**The next morning in the trainer's hotel…**

Ash slowly opened his eyes to find three girls looking over him with huge grins that stretched from ear to ear. As Ash focussed his eyes, he could see that the three girls were in fact Misty, Dawn and May.

"Good morning sleepy head" Dawn giggled.

"Errr…good morning" Ash said slightly confused. "I haven't overslept again have I?" Ash quickly looked at his poketch to find that the time is midday. "Oh not again!" Ash said whilst throwing his head back on the bed.

"Come on Ash, get up. We were all thinking of going to the park soon anyway" May said as Ash looked at her.

"Sounds like fun, who's going?" Ash said as he slowly got out of bed, completely forgetting that Pikachu was still asleep.

"Well, the three of us, you, Drew, Gary, Tracey and Brock" Misty informed Ash.

"Oh, so no Max?"

"Nah, he said that he has to sort out some of his pokemon for the second round, I'm not sure what exactly" May said, she always knew what her brother was doing.

"He's probably preparing for the second round" Ash said as he grabbed his clothes. "Do you mind?"

"No of course not" the girls all stood still with blank faces as Ash waited a couple of seconds.

"Oh sorry, we'll meet you outside the hotel then" the three girls stepped outside Ash's room giggling.

"Come on Pikachu, time to get up" Ash nudged his friend as Pikachu slowly got up. "And yes Pikachu, we overslept again, it's midday." Ash informed his electric pokemon as he looked at Ash in disbelief. "We're gonna meet up with Dawn, May and Misty outside the hotel, and you can go see Piplup and Marill"

"Pi-ka" the electric mouse liked Ash's idea.

"Great, then let's go". Ash walked out of the hotel as he was met by the three girls, Drew, Gary, Brock and Tracey. "Hi guys, how are you all?" Ash smiled at his friends.

"We're great Ash, we noticed that you overslept again" Tracey laughed at Ash, but did so in a joking manner.

"Yeah, I am a heavy sleeper" Ash said sheepishly as Brock approached him.

"Hey Ash, have you read the newspaper lately?" Brock queried him as he held a newspaper in front of his eyes. "Look, it's a picture of you, Dawn and May." Ash quickly grabbed the newspaper as everyone gathered round to admire the photo. May and Dawn instantly blushed at the photo of them holding onto each of Ash's arms.

"Oh man, that's embarrassing" May said as she looked at the photo of Dawn and her grabbing on to Ash's arms with Ash looking scared out of wits, she turned away to hide her red face.

"It sure is, now everyone is going to it, even my mom" Dawn covered her red face with her hands.

"The photo doesn't matter, it's the title above it" Brock stated as everyone looked above the photo. It read 'Tobias's main rival?'

"Wow, the photo just works perfectly with the title" Dawn said sarcastically as she was still upset about the picture of her.

"Tobias's…main rival?" Ash stared at the title. "I don't get it."

"Well, from what I can see, the newspapers must think that you are the closest Tobias is going to get to a rival" Brock's wise words put a smile on Ash's face.

"For someone like Tobias to even have a rival is something" Tracey said, everyone knew how strong Tobias was, yet for someone to be compared to him is incredible.

"I read somewhere in this that he is the favourite to win the tournament, with Ash second, and Gary third" Brock stated.

"What about Max?" May asked Brock hoping that he would know.

"Max is fifth, behind Tyson" he replied.

"It's not Tobias I'm worried about, it's beating my friends and rivals to even get the chance to battle him that I am concentrated on" Ash said whilst handing the newspaper back to Brock.

"You'll do great Ash" Gary said. "I'm sure you won't have to worry about anyone, until you reach me or Tobias" the friendly rivalry between the two guys was let loose.

"Come on, let's head to the park before some reporter takes another embarrassing photo of Ash" Drew said as everyone laughed at his remark.

**Meanwhile, back at the guest's hotel…**

"So Max, here are the pokemon you requested for the second round" Professor Oak handed Max 2 pokeballs. "Do you want that special one that you requested?"

"Yes please, now the real tournament begins now" Max said excitedly as Professor Oak hands him his third pokeball. "I'll get training right away! Thanks a lot Professor!" Max said whilst running off.

**Meanwhile, at the park…**

Misty, May, Dawn, Drew, Tracey, Brock, Gary and Ash lay down on the grass as they watched the clouds move by.

"It's strange how clouds look like things" Gary stated. "Like…that one over there, looks a bit like a Breloom" Gary pointed at a cloud that simply looked like a mushroom with legs and a tail.

"I see" Ash takes a look at the mushroom with legs and a tail.

"That looks nothing like a Breloom, it's missing an arm" Drew said, "look over there, that one looks a bit like a Mudkip."

"Wow, it does aswell" Brock admired Drew's findings; after all, Brock did own a Marshtomp.

"And that one" Dawn pointed at a particular cloud in the sky. "That one, it looks a bit like a contest ribbon." The cloud reminded Dawn of her Sinnoh Journey and The Grand Festival.

"Hey, it does aswell" May looked at the cloud impressively. There was a brief silence that took over after May's comment.

"So Dawn, May, what are you guys planning to do after The Rivalry Tournament?" Ash asked the question as May and Dawn took a moment to think. "Go to another region to take part in contests?"

"I haven't really thought about it yet" Dawn answered; she had originally hoped to travel with Ash to another region.

"I was thinking of travelling through Sinnoh; but I also heard of this region very far from here called Unova" May's statement intrigued the others as they all listened to what she had to say. "Apparently Unova is really far from here, but there are loads of pokemon there that are rare to the Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh regions."

"I've heard of the Unova region" Drew was particularly intrigued. "I've never been there though."

"So Ash, what are you going to do after the tournament?" Tracey asked.

"I haven't really thought about it either, I guess I can travel to a brand new region like Unova, or I could take up Scott's offer and become a frontier brain, I could always challenge another Battle Frontier, but you know what I always wanted to do?" Everyone sat up and looked at Ash. "After becoming a Pokemon Master, the thing I always wanted to do start a new Battle Frontier, in a region that doesn't have one yet, like Sinnoh." Ash's dream made the others smile.

"I guess that means you enjoyed the Kanto Battle Frontier?" May said as she looked deep into Ash's eyes. _I definitely enjoyed it, spending all that time with you Ash, I wish it could just replay the entire time we spent together in Kanto_.

"Of course, it's the second competition I actually won" Ash announced with pride.

"Well, I think you would make a great Frontier Brain or even a Battle Frontier owner" Misty smiled encouragingly.

"Thanks Misty, but all of that depends on how well I do in this tournament" Ash said, "I first want to become a Pokemon Master before I do anything". A short silence followed. "What do you want to do Gary?"

"Well…" Gary took a moment to think about his future plans. "I think I'll get back to some pokemon research, I've still got a lot to do in Sinnoh and other regions."

"That sounds great Gary" Brock said. "Of course, we still have the tournament to go through first."

"Yeah, apparently we are told the next round match-ups in a few hours from now" Ash said excitedly. "It's gonna be exciting, I can't wait to see who I'm getting paired up with!"

"Yeah, it's another 3 on 3 round, and then it's full battles all the way" Drew said. "The final shouldn't be too far from now, and then there's the dance on the last day." Misty's, Dawn's and May's face turned slightly red as an awkward silence followed them.

"So…speaking of the dance, who do you guys think you are going to take" Dawn secretly thanked Drew for bringing it up, none of the girls wanted to go on their own.

"Nurse Joy, Officer Jenny or just any beautiful girl I see" Brock said dreamily as the others looked at him sweatdropping.

"Well that's Brock for you" Gary stated, "as for me, I haven't really thought about it, but if I see someone I like, I think I'll ask them" Gary said confidently.

"Same here, if there is a girl that stands out to me, I'll ask them" Tracey said as the group turned to Drew.

"I already have my eye on a certain girl, it's just whether or not she says yes to me" Drew said, he didn't look in May's direction, but the three girls all knew who he was talking about.

"I'm sure with a nice guy like you asking that girl, she can't say no" Dawn smiled at Drew.

"She's right, that girl would be a fool not to say yes" Misty said as she quickly glanced at May who sat there blushing.

"Errr…Drew, I was wondering…" May sat up and looked at Drew as he sat up, he stared into her chocolate brown eyes that sparkled with the sunlight.

"What is it May?" Drew said in anticipation, he tried his best to pretend that he had no idea what she was going to say.

"I was wondering…is it true that you don't like chocolate?" May asked as Drew's smile was wiped off his face.

"Err…yeah, that is true, why ask that?" Drew said in a confused way as he did not expect that question.

"Oh, well, I was just wondering" May said as she looked at Misty and Dawn who giggled slightly. An awkward silence followed as Drew looked at the clouds again.

"Hmm, what about you Ash? Who do you think you are going to take to the dance?" Drew said as Ash sat up.

"I haven't really thought about either, and I'm definitely not going alone, I'm just worried if I ask someone and they say no" Ash replied.

"I'm sure that any girl you ask will instantly say yes to you" Dawn smiled as she placed her hand over Ash's. _I will instantly say yes to you Ash. _Ash didn't pull back his hand, instead blushed slightly and smiled back at Dawn.

"Thanks Dawn" Ash smiled at the blunette as her sapphire blue eyes stood out from the heavy blush that had taken over her face.

**Watching from behind a tree…**

"OK, this isn't working" Kenny admitted a fault in his plan. "It's time to take action against Tracey, but it's not my fault, he knew what would happen if he failed to act, and so he must be prepared for the consequences" the heartless boy told himself as he watched his love captivated by the raven haired trainer.

**So Ash beats his rival Morrison, but how will he do in the next few rounds? Drew is in love with May, but will May ever give in to Drew? Who is Max's special pokemon? And will Kenny finally take action against Tracey?**

**Sorry it's been so long since the last chapter, my longest chapter by far. I've tried my best to avoid embarrassing sentence structure or grammar, or even tenses, but I'm far from perfect so don't expect not to find any mistakes.**

**Sorry if it's another boring chapter, it's amazing how long it takes to write out a battle.**

**Special thanks to those who have motivated me and suggested ways of improving. (You know who you are). This is my first fanfic story after all.**

**Thanks a lot for taking the time to read this, next chapter is coming up soon**, **and please remember to R&R. **


	7. Love comes around every corner

**I bypassed the error! :P**

**Chapter 7 **** - Sorry it's been so long. My internet decided that it would die on me, and then my laptop gave in aswell. Thanks a lot to all those who have reviewed aswell. This chapter is a little short and crummy. After not updating for so long, I quickly whipped up this chapter and I think I went a little OOC. So anyway, enjoy **

**Note: I was going to upload this last Saturday, but there was an error. Sorry **

**Please review guys.**

**At the park…**

The lazy afternoon flew by. The warm gentle breeze surrounded Ash and his friends as all that was on their minds was the tournament and the last day. The thoughts of Ash dancing with the girls kept alive within each of the girl's minds, and with neither giving an inch. The thoughts of Kenny stood strong within Tracey's mind though. He shivered at the thought of him, his strange actions and the request that he asked Tracey to make scared him. It was as if Tracey was simply being used to help someone who he really hates. Kenny wasn't always like that though. Before the Grand Festival, Kenny was a good friend to Ash, Dawn and Brock, but ever since the Dawn rejected his offer to travel with him instead of Ash, he never acted as friendly towards them, especially Ash.

"Just an hour to go before we find out the 2nd round matchups" May said excitedly, the group didn't reply to her though as they felt too relaxed from lying on the grass and watching the clouds pass by. Oddly enough for them, there was no one passing through the park. It was likely that a lot of the trainers were preparing or hanging out with friends on their day off.

"Where is everyone anyway, this park should be full of people on a lovely day like this" everyone looked up surprised. Not a soul could be seen, the odd pokemon flew out of the nearby trees and sometimes a Rattata made its way to different trees that act as shelter from the warm sunlight.

"You're right, where is everyone?" Brock noticed as he sat up and looked around.

"Probably all at The Indigo Plateau, waiting for the second round matchups possibly" Gary wisely said. The mini speech that his opponent gave him in the first round was still fresh in his head.

"W-what?" Ash got up hastily. "Shouldn't we be there?" He watched everyone lay on the grass watching the time fly by.

"Relax Ash, we don't need to go" Gary stated, he didn't move a muscle from his position as he was too comfortable to move.

"And besides, I'm too comfortable to get moving" May smiled at Ash just as he sat back down on the grass. He lay back down on the grass between Dawn and May who both moved themselves closer to Ash. Tracey quickly remembered the rivalry between the girls. _It's not my job to force people to be in love. They must choose for themselves_. He never did a thing that Kenny requested him to do since the incident in Pallet Town, but Tracey still lived his life in fear for whenever Kenny will show up. Tracey did not know what Kenny would do to him if he did not oblige to what he said, just that he knew that it wouldn't be good. _Am I brave or stupid? Not doing a thing so I could suffer the consequences, or letting everything work out as it should do._

"It's a nice day don't you think Ash" the bluenette turned her body to the side so she could gaze at Ash's deep chocolate eyes. _Not as good looking as you though Ash_, she cheekily thought to herself. Dawn felt that she had an advantage over the other girls as she was the latest female to travel with Ash, not to mention she and other girls thought that Dawn is the prettiest.

"Yeah" he said smiling. "Today does look nice" he didn't look at all interested in Dawn's question, instead he looked ensnared within the blue sky's captivating display. A few clouds went past without resembling any shape or form to Ash.

"So Ash, are you prepared for the second round" May followed Dawn's example and looked into Ash's chocolate eyes. "I don't think you'll have any trouble or anything like that though".

"Of course I'm prepared! When you want to be the best, you've got to work for it" Ash said with pride whilst looking at May. _Words of a poet_, _if only you weren't so dense_. She never went a minute without thinking about her knight in shining armour. A quiet silence followed.

"I think I'll make my way back" Tracey nudged Brock before he stood up, signifying him to follow him.

"Going so soon Tracey" Drew said. Drew kept quiet until now. His mind was fixated on why May likes Ash so much.

"I've got stuff to do that's all" he replied to Drew.

"I think I'll follow him actually. I'm kind of hungry anyway" Brock got up causing his great shadow to cover the group.

"OK, see you soon guys" Ash said actually bothering to look at them.

"See you" they said as they walked back. A long silence followed. All that was there were six teenagers observing the beautiful afternoon sky take its place.

"So…you've asked us, now we ask you" Drew said. "Who do you three girls think you are going to take to the dance?" Drew said hoping to get the attention of May. The entire group sat up in interest. _Trust Drew to bring that one up_, May thought to herself. "Well…" the girls all looked at each other for help.

"I…haven't at all thought about it yet" Misty lied.

"Neither have I really" May did the same thing, but her lie looked a little more convincing.

"If I see someone that I like…then maybe" Dawn lied. A suspicious theme entered the conversation. _But May likes Ash. I'm sure the other two are lying aswell just to get through,_ Drew thought cunningly.

"I'm sure you will all get nice guys to go with you" Ash smiled at the girls, who all replied with a gentle blush.

"Thanks Ash" May and Dawn said in unison as they glared into Ash's brown eyes. _Come on Ash, the clues are right there for you, just please say you love me_, May thought to herself. She moved a little closer to Ash once more; they were barely inches away from each other. _Just say that you will go to the dance with me, please Ash_, Dawn's thoughts echoed in her mind just as she also moved closer to Ash. Feeling a little out casted, Misty stood up.

"I think I'll go back to the hotel actually. I'm…pretty hungry right now anyway" Misty began to slowly walk away, hoping that she would get a goodbye from Ash, Gary, Drew, May or Dawn, but not receiving any.

"Hmm…she probably really left because she had to sit next to Drew and Gary" Dawn joked.

"Ha! She didn't have to sit near us you know" Gary laughed. There was once a time when people said that Gary and Misty would make a good couple, but that was a long time ago. "Anyway, I'm going to head back to the hotel. Next round match-ups are coming up, catch you later guys" Gary said calmly as he walked in the opposite way to Misty.

"See you Gary" Ash said as he sat cosily next to May and Dawn.

**Meanwhile, with Tracey and Brock…**

"He could appear anywhere" Tracey said to Brock again. He felt slightly safer when Brock was around.

"I know, he appeared outside our door when I seen him" Brock replied to the worried individual. The two were still making their way out of the huge park as they spoke. It turns out they situated themselves towards the middle to their inconvenience. Pidgey and Spearow hovered around the nearby trees to act as shade from the radiant light that warmed up the land. Brock noticed Tracey's worried face. "Don't worry, it's going to work, I'm certain" Brock's wise words put a smile back on Tracey's face.

"Thanks Brock, we just have to see him first" Tracey said. Tracey knew that Kenny always appeared at the most inconvenient of times, much to Tracey's disadvantage as he had no time to think about how to fight back against Kenny.

"Hmm true" Brock followed. Their pace slowed down a bit. "Oh by the way, I've got to go down to the shops to pick up a few pokemon medicines; I'll catch up with you later" Brock left in an instant. _Oh man, why now Brock? _Tracey thought worriedly. In Tracey's time of need, the only one who he could prove anything to was not going to be there.

"I guess…I'll just have to stand up to him myself" Tracey admitted to himself as he walked quickly and carefully towards the hotel. A minute passed. Tracey could see the hotel from down the road. Strangely, no one was walking on the pavements and no cars could be seen on the roads. _I guess everyone is at The Indigo Plateau_, he thought to himself. He passed a side alley where a dark shadowy figure stood beside a dustbin with his face covered by the shadow of his black hood. The uncanny figure stood still gazing at Tracey, who also stood still to gaze back at the mysterious figure. _A person maybe? Or…perhaps a pokemon!_ Tracey's thoughts summoned a large grin on his face. Tracey's love for pokemon was outstanding, he didn't often use any of his pokemon for battling, instead, they were more used for research. Any pokemon that Tracey found in the wild was something to investigate. "It sure is a strange place to find a pokemon" he quietly said to himself, making sure that the pokemon would not be scared away from his presence. Tracey whipped out his pokedex and pointed it at the figure.

"No Data" Tracey looked a little bit disappointed from the results of his pokedex, but still pursued and slowly walked up to the figure.

"No data only means that this pokemon is yet to be discovered" Tracey said excitedly. He was so adamant and distracted about the figure being a pokemon, the unsuspected individual had completely forgotten about Kenny.

**Back at the park…**

The lazy afternoon continued with Drew, May, Dawn and Ash lying on the grass staring dreamily at the limitless sky. Ash felt significantly more relaxed though. After spending 6 months on the road training as if your life depends on it, the effects were tough on Ash and his pokemon. Every time they had a moment to relax, they felt as if they were in heaven.

"When are you going to start practicing for the second round Ash?" Drew said out of nowhere. He looked a little distracted though from the way May acted around Ash.

"Erm…well, I guess I could do some battling practice with someone" Dawn and May immediately shot up.

"We'll help you Ash!" They both said in unison.

"That's very kind of you two-" Ash was interrupted by Drew, who stood up aswell.

"I think I'll take this one" Drew said confidently just as Ash rose. "After all, I could do with another battle against Ash" he smiled at the young trainer.

"Yeah, and besides, I could do with a rematch against Drew" Ash remembered briefly how he lost against the formidable co-ordinator.

"OK, I challenge you to a battle Ash" Drew moved himself a few metres away from Ash.

"Great, do any of you two want to act as referee?" Ash pointed the question at Dawn and May who looked back at him with their blank faces.

"I guess…I could" Dawn raised her hand.

"Thanks Dawn" Ash said. _Dawn really is helpful sometimes_, Ash thought to himself. _OK Drew, focus. This battle isn't about winning or pride or anything like that. It's about impressing May, so just make your moves look great_, Drew thought to himself confidently. He quickly looked over to the sidelines to see May standing beside Dawn staring blankly into the distance. Drew smiled. His hands started to get sweaty as he reached for his first pokeball.

"OK, it will be a one on one battle, with no time limits" Dawn announced. May stood beside her with her eyes now fixated on Ash. "Come on May, he's yours for the taking" Dawn whispered to the brunette, who only glared back at her with her evil eyes. "I honestly don't see how you could hate him"

"No Dawn! Just drop it! I'm not going with Drew to the dance and that's final!" May crammed the words between her teeth. Dawn could see the anger and decided to turn her attention back to the battle.

"OK Begin!" Dawn called out.

"Roserade, go!" Drew's main pokemon was summoned from its pokeball.

"Your Roserade looks really good Drew, but it won't make a difference. Gallade, I choose you!" Ash complimented Drew's grass type just as he unleashed one of the pokemon he caught during his time away.

"Rose-ra"

"Gallade" The tall thin pokemon took its position, eyeing Drew's Roserade.

"Gallade, use Psycho Cut!" Ash told his pokemon. Gallade's forearms began to glow a bright blue colour whilst keeping its posture perfectly.

"Ash really did train his Gallade well" May said to Dawn.

"Definitely, it looks like a good pokemon to use in contests" Dawn admired. Gallade started swinging his arms around hurling multiple crescent blades at Roserade.

"Roserade, block it with Petal Dance" the beautiful grass type spun around as it let out pink petals that spiralled its way towards Gallade's Psycho Cut completely cancelling out Gallade's attack.

"Gallade, Swords Dance!" Ash called out. The blade pokemon swivelled around with several mystical swords dancing around him majestically.

"Beautiful isn't it Dawn" May said from behind her with an admiring smile on her face.

"Beautiful to say the least. I wonder if Ash has ever thought about taking part in any contests with it?" Dawn replied. Gallade looked really pumped from Swords Dance as it took its position once more.

"Roserade, Solarbeam!" Drew quickly called out an attack before Gallade could have the chance to do so. The grass type's roses at the ends of its arms began to glow as it gathered energy from the radiant sun.

"Be careful Gallade" Ash warned his pokemon. Roserade fired a golden beam out of its roses aiming it towards Gallade. "OK, block it with Psycho Cut!" The blade pokemon obliged. The forearms of the tall thin pokemon glowed hurling another load of multiple crescent blades at Roserade.

"Ash certainly has the advantage when it comes to being offensive. Psychic type moves have the advantage over poison types like Roserade" May pointed out.

"True, but Drew's Roserade has the advantage when being defensive against fighting types. Gallade's fighting type moves won't do so much damage against Roserade" Dawn wisely added. Both the Solarbeam and the Psycho Cut collided in the centre of the battle field causing a massive explosion.

"Stand by Roserade" the cloud of smoke surrounded Roserade making it impossible for Drew to see it. Ash's Gallade was hidden from the smoke aswell, also making it impossible for him to see his pokemon aswell.

"You too Gallade, for now at least" Ash said to his pokemon.

"Hmm…Roserade, Solarbeam once more!" Drew said instinctively. His pokemon was still invisible to him still. _Please work_.

"Interesting idea Drew's got" Dawn said admiringly. May kept quiet and refused to look at Dawn. "Come on May, what's wrong?" Dawn looked at her slightly worriedly. "Drew isn't a bad person, and he really likes you, can you just make the effort?" May looked at her friend inquisitively, as if she made some sense. _Drew's a nice guy and all…but…I have to let the past go._

She sighed. "Dawn…I'll talk to you later about it" May said looking at her friend. Dawn completely understood though, and turned her attention back to the battle. Roserade had only just gained enough energy to use Solarbeam, but the smoke the explosion still surrounded the pokemon.

"Gallade, jump high in the air and use Ice Punch!" Roserade fired its Solarbeam, but Gallade dodged it and jumped incredibly high in the air, rising well above the smoke caused from the explosion. Gallade's hand began to glow a bluish-white colour before charging its way through the air to make contact with where the Solarbeam came from.

"But how?" Drew exclaimed in shock. "How could Gallade even see Roserade?" The smoke faded away with Gallade standing firm a couple of metres in front of Ash and Roserade on the ground, fainted.

"Roserade is unable to battle, Gallade is the winner" Dawn announced.

"Well done Roserade, you put up a great fight" Drew returned his fallen pokemon to its pokeball. _That went OK I guess._ Drew looked up to see Ash returning his pokemon to his pokeball.

"Excellent work Gallade, I'm proud of you" Ash returned Gallade to his pokeball. "Hey Drew" Ash looked up. "Great battle Drew" Ash complimented Drew.

"Thanks Ash, you too" Drew replied. "But how did Gallade see Roserade through that thick smoke?" he questioned Ash.

"I…think Gallade watched where the Solarbeam came from from above and just took a shot out of the dark" Ash said, he was also unsure on how Gallade did it either.

"So what did you two think?" Drew and Ash turned to May and Dawn.

"Great battle both of you" Dawn said with a large smile on her face. May stood in silence, she didn't even look at Ash or Drew.

"…what did you think May?" Drew walked into her line of sight which made her look a bit startled.

"I…I think you both did very well. Oh and Drew" Drew took a step closer towards May. "Great battling there, your Roserade looked beautiful" she smiled at Drew, who replied with his smile.

"Thank you May" Drew said. "Anyway, I think I'll go get something to eat" Drew started walking. "Great battle Ash"

"Thanks Drew, I'll see you around" Ash said.

"See you later Drew" Dawn said. She looked to her left to find May gazing at the sky, with her eyes glazed. She looked as if she was going to burst out crying. Quickly, Dawn took a step closer to May. "Hey, something wrong?" she looked into her eyes. Ash watched Drew walk away and didn't notice May's eyes tearing up.

"I'll talk about it later Dawn" she whispered quietly, trying to hide herself from the unaware Ash. She quickly wiped the small tears from her eyes and put an actor's smile on her face. "I think I'll go check on Max" she said, her happy smile masked her sadness very well. "I think he said he'll be at the shops, I'll see you guys later" she said, walking off in the opposite direction to Drew.

"Bye May" Ash finally clicked in and turned around.

"Bye…May" Dawn said with a worried expression on her face. _What's May hiding? _She thought to herself, anxious for her friend. The mood quickly lightened up though, as Dawn finally realized that she was alone with Ash. "So Ash" Dawn said looking at his disarranged hair for some reason. "Who are you going up against in the second round?"

"I don't honestly know yet" he quickly glanced at his Poketch to see if the second round match-ups were ready. A message read: Please report back to your hotel to see the second round match-ups.

"Back to the hotel it is then" Dawn moved herself a little closer to Ash.

"Oh man, I just can't wait!" Ash was barely able to contain his excitement. "Whoever I'm against, they will not stand a chance against me." _So determined, focussed – and just downright gorgeous, that's why I love you Ash_. _But…May does seem a little worried…oh forget it, she'll tell me later, it can't be that bad anyway. Just have some fun with Ash._ The two teenagers began walking towards Ash's hotel, until a familiar voice came from behind them…

**With Gary Oak…**

Gary decided to take a longer route back to his hotel so he could admire the tranquil and surprisingly calm city that surrounded The Indigo Plateau. No one was walking the pavements, nor could any cars be seen on the road despite it being mid-afternoon.

"It sure is quiet" Gary reached out for one of his pokeballs. "Electivire, come on out!" Gary threw his pokeball in the air letting out his electric type.

"Elect-ivire"

"Hey Electivire, I just wanted to thank you for your effort yesterday" Gary said as he and his pokemon walked along the pavement. "Anyway, the hotel is close by and I want you to see who we are up against"

"Elect-vire" the pokemon walked with him along the quiet pathway, also quite startled at how quiet it is.

"Everyone's at The Indigo Plateau watching the live second round match-ups" Gary said to his pokemon. He sighed. "I just hope that my second round opponent will be a piece of cake. Anyway, the hotel is just around this corner" Gary walked slightly ahead of Electivire as they turned the corner, only to find someone else turning the corner at the same time, colliding with Gary.

"Ouch!" The two people fell to the floor.

"Oh I'm so sorry" the other person said.

"That's OK, it was…" Gary's words trailed off. He held his forehead and focussed his eyes to see what he collided with. A young beautiful girl was in front of him. She had light brown hair that almost reached her elbows; her light brown eyes sparkled in the sun like a lake in a sunset sky. She wore a light blue dress with an orange bow and a white cardigan. _Wow, she's…something isn't she_. She was still on the hard ground surrounded by loads of papers. Gary quickly dived after her. "Oh no, I'm so sorry. Here, let me get that for you" Gary instinctively went to pick up the scattered papers she was holding.

"Don't worry, I've got it" the girl went after the papers aswell. Gary handed her the papers that he collected as they both stood up.

"Sorry about that, I'm Gary by the way" Gary stuck out his hand trying his best not to blush in front of the girl's captivating beauty.

She chuckled "I know who you are; your first round battle was amazing. I'm Jasmine" she complimented Gary and shook his hand softly. _He's cute to say the least_, she thought to herself cheekily. A short but empty silence entered the conversation unwelcomingly.

"So err…are you competing in the tournament too?" Gary asked. She smiled at him flirtatiously.

"I sure am. I used to be the Olivine Gym leader you know" she said with pride. Gary didn't go to the Olivine Gym.

"Oh, I never got the Olivine City badge. I heard a few rumours that the Olivine City gym leader was a bit tough, so I took the easy route and avoided it" Gary complimented Jasmine through his soft lie.

She giggled. "Well thank you. I handed the gym over to my apprentice Janina a few months ago now so I could become a pokemon professor" Gary's eyes lit up.

"I'm a pokemon professor too!" he said happily and with much pride.

"Wow, really?" She sounded surprised. Gary's casual looks didn't make him look like your average professor; it hardly made him look smart either.

"Yeah, I'm based in Sinnoh. I decided to enter the Johto league where I came in the top 4" Gary stated.

"Nice, I'm situated in Johto, but I entered the Hoenn league just for fun and came in the top 8" she moved herself a little closer to Gary.

"It's strange how talented some pokemon professors are" Gary smiled as Jasmine moved closer to him. For a moment then, Gary felt as if he had finally found the girl of his dreams. _And to think I used to go round with cheerleaders…_

"So… who are you going to face in the second round?" Jasmine asked ending the silence.

"I don't know yet, we were just on our way to find out" Gary quickly glanced at his Electivire.

"Oh" Jasmine frowned, but quickly regained her irresistible smile. "In that case, I'll let you get on with your day" she held out her hand once more. "Nice to meet you Gary"

"Nice to meet you too Jasmine" Gary shook her hand and blushed slightly. "I'll see you around"

"You too, and sorry about the collision earlier, you may want to sort that out though" she pointed at Gary's forehead where there was a minor cut. Gary self-consciously moved his hand to the cut. She giggled as her cheeks began to glow a light crimson colour. "Bye Gary and good luck in the next round" she said walking away slowly from Gary.

"You too, bye" Gary called out. He waved at her until she was a good distance away from him. _Oh man, a good looking girl talks to you and all you can do is act like a total freak!_ Gary scolded himself. _But she sure is beautiful; I can't wait to see her again_. He turned around to see his Electivire quietly laughing to himself.

"Elect-ivire"

"Come on Electivire, don't do this to me" Gary pleaded.

"Elect-ivire" the large pokemon continued to laugh quietly.

"Look Electivire. I don't like like her, I just think she's a nice person" Gary's words came out as he didn't plan them to. The large yellow and black pokemon continued to laugh. "Never mind, come on, let's head back to the hotel" Gary started walking, with Electivire following not so far behind. _We'll meet again Jasmine. _Gary didn't often show his feelings for girls, instead he was too confident to do anything like that, but Jasmine's charm seemed to turn Gary's cheeks a lot redder than usual.

**At the park…**

A familiar voice came from behind Dawn and Ash.

"Absolutely pathetic" it was Paul. Paul looked a little more intimidating than before. His purple hair was the same and the criticising look in his eyes remained. The only thing that really changed with Paul is that he looked a lot taller and tougher than last time.

"What did you just say?" Ash immediately turned around fuming, but was not expecting how much taller and stronger he looked.

"I said you're pathetic. I watched your battle with Drew, and it looks like you still haven't got any better" he said intimidatingly. Ash clenched his fist, but did not move from his stance. "Not to mention that weakling of a pokemon that you caught" he said mockingly. Ash scowled at him.

"My Gallade could beat any of your pokemon any day!" he fought back. Ash caught Gallade as a Ralts and had loved it ever since. He spent his remaining money from his journey on a Dawn Stone to evolve him when he became a Kirlia. From that day on, he cut down on everything, just so that he and his pokemon could get enough to eat. To make sure that his huge expense was worth it, he took extra time in making his Gallade the best he could be. Calling Gallade a weakling made Ash feel as if all that hard work and effort was for nothing.

"You're forgetting Paul, I beat you in the Sinnoh league, where it really counted" Ash reminded himself, the memories bringing a smile to his face.

"I never needed to win anyway, I don't need some tournament to give me a title when I already know that I'm number one" Paul stated. "I'm not pathetic like you Ash; you need tournaments to keep you going. All I need to do is trample over pathetic losers like you so people would recognise me as the best"

"Then why did you enter this thing anyway Paul?" Ash asked him slightly angrily.

"Wow Ash, are you really that stupid? I entered this tournament so I could be recognised as the best" he confidently said. "I watched your first round battle and I am far from impressed. You should've easily beaten Morrison, but your pathetic little pokemon only just scraped a win"

"You can insult me all you want, but my pokemon could crush yours, like last time Paul" Ash said cunningly. Paul chuckled at his remark.

"Overconfidence isn't going to get you anywhere. It's a whole load of luck how someone like you can even make it into this tournament" Paul's egotistic nature drove Ash to almost going berserk. "Don't be so surprised if you don't make it into the next round Ash."

"Don't be surprised when I beat you either Paul" Ash's comeback wasn't so impressive, but it was enough.

"Whatever. I've got no time for losers like you Ash" Paul said. He turned his body slightly to the left. "Dawn…" Paul nodded at the bluenette and walked off with his cheeks shining with a tint of red. Ash and Dawn froze in their stances until Paul was at a safe distance.

"Why can't he just be nice for once?" Ash asked himself before he gazed into the distance.

"You OK Ash?" Dawn said worriedly. She looked at him; he looked very deep in thought.

"I'm fine Dawn; it just makes me so angry when people insult my pokemon like that" Ash said gritting his teeth.

"No need to worry Ash, I know that you'll beat him" Dawn hugged him softly.

"Thanks Dawn" Ash didn't back away, instead he hugged her back. _You're always there for me Dawn_. Ash opened one his eyes to see Paul walking away slowly. _I can't lose to him. I just can't_.

"Shall we make our way to the hotel now?" Dawn suggested.

"OK" the two made their way to the hotel, walking side by side and with their cheeks reddened slightly.

**With Tracey…**

The unsuspecting Tracey walked up slowly to the completely stationary figure in an attempt not to scare it off.

"Now!" The eerie figure called out. A massive Empoleon came from above and blocked the exit for Tracey who stood still in shock and surprise. "You're too predictable Tracey" the figure took off his hood to reveal his face. His chestnut brown hair and the evil look in his eyes struck an ice cold arrow into Tracey's back. _No…no…not now!_

"K-Kenny?" Tracey said in fear. The hairs on his arm shot up, he felt his heart beating at a million miles an hour and drops of sweat fell down his face. "What are you doing here Kenny?"

"I think you know what I'm doing here Tracey" Kenny walked up to Tracey slowly. "How's the assignment going?" Kenny watched every part of Tracey's day, but chose to keep that bit a secret.

"I-It's going g-great Kenny. Misty and May are falling for Ash like a domino and Dawn is-" the trembling sound of Tracey's voice was interrupted by Kenny.

"Don't ever underestimate me Tracey!" Kenny shouted at him. "Do you take me for some kind of fool?" Kenny slapped Tracey on the cheek, hurling him backwards into Empoleon, who just pushed him back.

"No! Of course I don't!" Tracey covered his cheek with his hand. His legs shook in fear for his future. The unpredictable Kenny made his way once more towards Tracey.

"Then why lie to me Tracey?" Kenny pulled back his arm and scratched Tracey's face viciously. Tracey screamed out in pain as Kenny's sharp claw-like nails made contact with his other cheek.

"I'm sorry Kenny! I promise I'll…I'll do something" Tracey pleaded. His original plan was to intimidate Kenny himself, but with the amount of pressure that Kenny was putting on Tracey, he had completely forgotten. "Just please! Let me-" Tracey's trembling voice was once again interrupted by Kenny.

"Let you what? Let you go so you can just forget about everything I tell you to do?" he shouted at Tracey. Kenny sighed. "You know how I always said that I would…well you know…if you never did what I say?" Kenny took a step back from the cowering Tracey. Drops of blood rolled down his face from Kenny's ferocious attack. "Well, I think you've over stepped the boundaries a little" Kenny shoved Tracey to the floor.

"Please Kenny! I promise I won't do it again! I swear!" The cowering individual pleaded whilst crawling backwards. His eyes shook with fear and terror.

"Dawn is out there, still with Ash for all I know! What makes you think I can let you off again?" Kenny walked slowly to Tracey. He looked down to see him cowering on the floor, blood from the attack continued to roll down his face. "I warned you, and I warned you again, and you were aware of the consequences, now you must pay" Kenny exclaimed.

"No Kenny! Please!" A sadistic smile appeared on Kenny's face as he knelt down next to Tracey with his fist pulled back. Tracey covered his face with his arms in an attempt to protect himself from another one of Kenny's attacks.

"Never…ever…tell anyone what I'm about to do, or else…well, you know what's going to happen, don't you?"

**Well…yeah.**

**Paul's introduction. A little bit of GaryxJasmine, I don't know what I was thinking, I know they never met, I just thought that they would make a cute couple****. Our friend Tracey is in trouble again, May's got a secret about Drew, Dawn appears to be ahead of the girls in the love rivalry. 2****nd**** round of the tournament begins next chapter.**

**That is if there is even going to be another chapter. Right now, I feel really unmotivated and apathetic. 7 chapters in and I'm about a quarter of the way through :S If there is going to be another chapter, it'll appear next weekend, but don't bet your life on it. I also do feel a little discouraged from carrying on from ****Nanna and Utu****'s review aswell :'(**

**Please review guys, I need motivation.**


	8. Lucky Ribbons

**Chapter 8 is finally here, after two weeks I have produced a 8.9K word chapter Thank you guys SO SO MUCH for the reviews for the last chapter. Reading them honestly made me forget all about that guys comment. Special thanks to A-Gallade and ****ShinyAeon**** for giving me advice about this chapter aswell as helping me with some ideas. Thanks to everyone as a whole though **

**Note: After re-reading the story myself, I realised that I was spelling Electivire 'Electrivire' for the first few chapters, my bad.**

**Unfortunately for me, this chapter was difficult! I messed up big time. You'll understand when you read the chapter. So anyway on with the fic, and if you're keeping up with the story so far (Trust me, I know you are -.-) You would remember that we're still in the alley with Tracey, Kenny and Empoleon. Enjoy **

Tracey covered his face with his arms in an attempt to protect himself from another one of Kenny's attacks.

"Never…ever…tell anyone what I'm about to do, or else…well, you know what's going to happen, don't you?" Those words haunted Tracey ever since Pallet Town. _I've got to act_,_ if I act like a coward, nothing will change_.

"Scyther!" Tracey quickly grabbed one of his pokeballs and threw it high in the air letting out his bug type pokemon. He pushed Kenny aside and rose to his feet quickly.

"What do you think you're doing?" Kenny said surprised at Tracey's actions.

"Retaliating. I'm not going to let you bully me like you have done" he said with determination.

"Bully? I'm merely trying to motivate you Tracey" Kenny said innocently. Tracey edged his way with Scyther to the far end of the alley so he could stay as far away as he could from Empoleon. The objective for Tracey was to somehow evade Kenny and get passed Empoleon. Behind him was a dead end. Dustbins that were infested with Rattata surrounded Kenny and Tracey.

"You've done nothing but torture me since Pallet Town!" Tracey shouted. "We're all better off without you Kenny! Scyther, use Slash!" The bug type pokemon made its way at speed towards Kenny who simply stood still. Out of nowhere, his Empoleon placed itself in front of Kenny, taking Scyther's deadly attack as if it had been hit by a soft breeze.

"You're a fool Tracey! You're pathetic! I'm going to give you one last chance! Return Scyther and I'll let you go, but you must get Dawn away from Ash!" he demanded. He sounded serious despite being invisible to Tracey as the massive penguin pokemon was in the way.

"And let you intimidate me again? Scyther, Slash once more!" He commanded his pokemon. Scyther's sharp claw quickly made contact with Empoleon's tough exterior, pushing the Empoleon back a few steps and less than a step in front of Kenny.

"That's it! Breloom!" Kenny threw a pokeball in the air letting out his pokemon. "Stun Spore on Scyther!" The mushroom pokemon released an orange mist from the holes on its head, trapping Scyther. The bug type was barely able to move as he was paralysed severely by Breloom's attack.

"Come on Scyther!" Tracey called out to his pokemon. He quickly hovered his hand over his other pokeballs before grabbing them and throwing them in the air. "Marill! Venonat! Help him out!" he called out, unleashing another one of his bug type pokemon and his water pokemon.

"Come on Tracey. Do you really think your pokemon stand a chance?" Kenny mocked him. Tracey didn't often battle, especially with Venonat and Marill, but it was the only thing he could do to get away from Kenny.

"Of course I do! Venonat, Sleep Powder!" Tracey said fiercely. Venonat started to shake its body as blue powder fell from its fur, putting Breloom to sleep. "Excellent work Venonat! Now use it on Empoleon!" Tracey said with sudden joy. He quickly glanced over to Marill who was on standby and ready to battle. Scyther was still down, but slowly looking as if it will rise again.

"Empoleon, use Drill Peck on Venonat before you fall asleep!" Kenny said. Almost immediately, Empoleon sprang into action. With its glowing white beak, the large penguin pokemon started to spin like a drill, hitting Venonat and hurling it backwards.

"Venonat, return!" Tracey said returning his pokemon its pokeball.

"I warned you Tracey" Kenny said. "I'm a top class co-ordinator; I battle all the time, unlike you. You look like you could do with some help" he said mockingly. That smile was back on his face, the one that Tracey feared. But Kenny was right; he did battle all the time and Tracey barely ever did.

"I'm not giving in Kenny! Marill, Water Gun!" Tracey said as a gush of water came rushing out from Marill's mouth, aimed straight at Empoleon.

"Take the hit Empoleon!" Kenny said. The gush of water hit Empoleon, but it didn't move a muscle. The incredibly ineffective attack barely made Empoleon even blink. "Water attacks against a water type?" Kenny said questioning Tracey's strategy. "Empoleon, Steel Wing" Kenny said calmly. The penguin type pokémon's arm illuminated and smacked the tiny Marill back towards Tracey.

"Marill, return" Tracey said returning his Marill. _I can't send out Venonat, he's too badly injured. Marill just fought…sometimes I wish I was a pokemon trainer._ Tracey quickly glanced over to Scyther to see it finally stand on both its feet. A smile was finally brought to Tracey's face. Scyther was his only chance to get away from Kenny, and now that Scyther was ready, it looked probable.

"Scythe" the bug type said, signalling that it is ready to battle.

"Scyther, use Quick Attack!" The bug type sprinted up to Empoleon slicing it with its razor sharp claws.

"Hang in there Empoleon" Kenny said to his pokemon. Empoleon definitely took damage from the Quick Attack despite it being not very effective.

"Scyther, Slash!" The pokemon made its way at speed towards Empoleon, once again slicing it with its razor sharp claws. "Great Scyther!" Tracey congratulated his pokemon as it looked like Empoleon was tiring fast. It started panting heavily and was only just able to still stand on its feet still. _Why isn't Kenny calling out any attacks? I should just take advantage of this_. Tracey quickly observed the silent and emotionless Kenny, standing still as if he was uninterested…or with a plan. "Scyther! Finish Empoleon off with Skull Bash!" Everything seemed to be going well for Tracey, he looked on top with his Scyther, and Empoleon looked weary. Scyther quickly flew towards Empoleon with its body surrounded in a golden orb and gold streaks around it. _Well done Scyther, _Tracey thought to himself. The win almost seemed in Tracey's favour. His huge cheerful smile matched his confidence, but it was all shattered by one a simple command.

"Breloom, Energy Ball!" Kenny commanded. The Breloom instantly woke up from its sleep and shot a green energy ball towards Scyther. Tracey looked horrified as he watched the energy ball explode on impact on Scyther, throwing it across the alley.

"No! Scyther!" Tracey watched his pokemon fall to the ground. The grass type move was extremely ineffective against Scyther, but it was enough to send it flying across the alley. Breloom's unexpected awakening and its surprisingly quick attack froze Tracey in his stance, watching Scyther lay on the alleys hard ground, fainted. "I-it can't be…" Tracey said to himself quietly. His solemn and slightly terrified frown only grew as Kenny's intimidating smile grew.

"You're a fool Tracey!" Kenny said glad that he won. "You've overstepped the boundaries again!" He shouted angrily, angry that Tracey had the guts to disobey him despite the numerous warnings. "Breloom, Stun Spore. Make sure that he doesn't move" Kenny said to his mushroom pokemon. Breloom released an orange mist from the holes on its head trapping the terrified Tracey.

"You don't scare me Kenny" Tracey said bravely as he fell to the floor, weakened by the stun spore.

"You should Tracey, when I'm done, you will do as I say and you WILL get Dawn away from Ash" he said firmly whilst making his way towards Tracey. "Empoleon, Steel Wing on him!" Kenny commanded. The massive arm of the penguin pokemon lit up and smacked Tracey across the face where Kenny's previous attacks were still visible. Tracey bravely hid his pain from the attack and blandly looked at Kenny. "That's the softest it's going to get Tracey" Kenny said towering over him. "You're lazy, useless and all round pathetic! And to think they call you their friend!" Kenny said slightly louder and trying to intimidate Tracey. "If you continue to disobey me, then the same thing will happen to them too."

"…At least I have friends" Tracey said, secretly proud of himself. He tried his best to stick to his plan and intimidate Kenny himself, but it didn't look like it was working as soon after his comment, he wished he'd never said it. Kenny stood still for a moment. Tracey's comment hit him hard. Kenny had an angry look in his eyes, his fist clenched in outrage and anger. The infuriated Kenny looked at Tracey once more.

"You can't intimidate me Tracey! I know what your plan was! I heard every word of it! And trust me when I say this: you are going to regret ever saying that to me" his angry words rattled through Tracey's mind. _He knows my plan? But how?_ Tracey knew that the plan was over. Tracey was unaware that Kenny watches him every day. Before Tracey could rethink his plan, Kenny launched his fist at Tracey's nose. "I warned you Tracey!" Kenny shouted whilst Tracey held his nose in pain. His eyes watered even though he was far from crying, blood leaked from his nose slowly. "You're weak Tracey" Kenny angrily said. "And now you're going to pay." That was the moment when Tracey gave up. _The plan is over, I cannot intimidate him, my pokemon aren't strong enough- no wait, I'm not strong enough,_ Tracey thought to himself. The horror returned to his face and the fear of what Kenny was going to do to him was still in his mind. But as time went on, Tracey only got more and more scared by Kenny.

"No Kenny! Please!" Tracey's words proved to make no difference to Kenny. He grabbed Tracey's shirt harshly with the sadistic smile on his face. Tracey's eyes shook with fear for his uncertain future. Drops of sweat mixed with drops of blood fell down from his face to the ground of the dark alley where they were.

"I warned you more than once now" Kenny said before punching Tracey with all of his force. Tracey cried out in pain as his face was thrown to one side.

"I-I'm sorry Kenny!" A large bruise appeared on his cheek, with many cuts surrounding his entire face.

"You're not sorry! If you were sorry, you wouldn't be here" he shouted at Tracey. Another slash came from Kenny's demonic hand, again hitting Tracey on his cheek where the effects of the old attacks were still visible. Almost immediately, Kenny pulled back his fist and delivered an incredibly strong punch just below Tracey's eye. The defenceless individual fell silent for a moment before crying out in pain. Kenny let go of his shirt, stood up again and took a step back from Tracey.

"Next time…next time…your friends share the consequences." Tracey could tell that he meant it this time. This conflict between Tracey and Kenny had only just begun. He knew that he got off light today; he could see this through Kenny's harsh and cruel actions. "You will make sure there is a next time, won't you Tracey?"

"N-no" He said struggling to speak with the small amount of blood coming from his mouth and nose. "I-I'll do something. I swear"

"Of course you will, just like last time-" Kenny teased before being interrupted.

"No-no, I mean it this time" Tracey said with slight seriousness despite being in incredible pain from Kenny's beating.

"I'm sure you do" Kenny smirked. "I'll see you next time Tracey" He walked around Tracey up to his Empoleon. "Return Empoleon" he said before walking back into the afternoon light.

Tracey was still lying on the ground with his eyes semi-open. Kenny's ferocious scratches etched themselves into Tracey's cheeks; a couple of bruises were present on the young individuals face. A black outlining surrounded one of Tracey's eyes which were shaking at the thought of what just happened. _Can't go on like this, I've got to-_ Tracey struggled to think under the immense pain. Bravely, he tried to get up despite Breloom's Stun Spore still having an effect on him, but he fell almost immediately. _Why me? What have I ever done against Kenny?_ He thought to himself as he crawled and sat against the wall of the dark alley. _I wish…that I never got caught up in this. If only he could just leave me alone. If only…_ Tracey breathed in and out heavily in an attempt to gain enough to energy to get up and back to his hotel room. _If only Kenny could get Dawn himself instead of dragging me into this._

"Tracey?" A familiar voice came from the light. Tracey smiled at the silhouette of a familiar figure. _Help at last_.

**At the trainer's hotel…**

The lobby at the trainer's hotel was bustling with trainers and pokemon, all joyful and highly anticipating the second round match-ups. A positive atmosphere was present in the area. But for one person in particular, their excitement was almost uncontainable. Surprisingly, it was Gary Oak. The second match-ups announcement was imminent, and had excited a lot of trainers in the lobby, but another thing was on Gary's mind that made him so excited.

"Jasmine…Jasmine…I'm sure Ash has met her before…" he quietly whispered to himself. "After the tournament, I'm heading to Johto to-" Gary's out-loud thoughts were cut short by the introduction of Ash and Dawn.

"Hey Gary, where' you gonna go after the tournament?" Ash nosily asked.

"Erm…back to Sinnoh…" he said slowly. _I can't tell Ash that I like someone, that's what a hard earned reputation stops you from doing._

"Ah, then what was that name that you kept saying to yourself?" Ash said intrigued.

"Nothing Ashy boy, you should learn to mind your own business" Gary taunting whilst smiling. There was a brief moment afterwards when Gary remembered the early days of his pokemon journey, and how he always called him 'Ashy Boy'.

"OK Gary, I'll try" Ash said jokingly before turning his attention to the massive screen on the wall. "Oh man, next round match-ups! I'm so psyched!" Ash was also barely able to control his excitement.

"Attention trainers" a feminine voice announced, it was obviously Nurse Joy. "The second round match-ups will appear on your screen now." Everyone's heads quickly turned to the large screen where the match-ups for the second round were visible. Thirty-two pictures appeared on the screen, including Gary's and Ash's.

"Great! Mine's in stadium A at 12:30" Gary smiled at the choice of his time.

"Looks like an early start for you Gary" Dawn had kept quiet until now.

"That's easy, 12:30's fine for me"

"Not for some people though…" Dawn gestured towards Ash.

"No need to worry Dawn" Ash chuckled. _He said my catchphrase! _Dawn silently squealed to herself, ecstatic that the love of her life is slowly moving towards her. "My battle is in stadium A also, but it's at 2:30pm" Ash looked carefully at the screen to see his opponent. "Harrison is my opponent."

"Harrison? Isn't that the guy who beat you in the Silver Conference in Johto?" Gary asked.

"That's him, but he won't beat me this time!" Ash said crammed with excitement. "Who's your opponent Gary?" Gary looked at the screen carefully.

"Barry" Gary said blankly. "Never heard of him."

"Barry? You don't suppose that's the Barry from Sinnoh?" Dawn looked at Ash inquisitively. Ash carefully inspected the photo of the trainer named Barry.

"It's him all right" Ash concluded. "Oh man! Everyone's here! Now I really can't wait for the next round!"

"So it's Ash versus Harrison" Dawn said.

"And it's our Gary against Sinnoh Barry" Ash smiled. Dawn froze in amazement at what Ash just said.

"Ash! I didn't know you were good with poetry!" Dawn tightly hugged Ash, nuzzling her head in his chest. Ash, unaware how what he just said was special, looked at Gary in confusion.

"Gary and Barry rhyme genius" Gary whispered into Ash's ear. Dawn released Ash and took another look at the second round match-ups.

"Looks like Max has Conway…" she said slightly uninterested.

"Conway?" Gary asked looking slightly confused.

"Conway is from Sinnoh, from what I last heard from him, he made it into the top 16, but may have competed since then" Ash informed.

"Yeah, Conway scares me sometimes because-" Dawn started, but was interrupted by one of Ash's old rivals.

"Hey Dawn, how are you?" Conway said entering the conversation in his usual mysterious way.

"H-hey Conway" Dawn sweat dropped. "H-how are you?"

"I'm great Dawn. It's nice to see you" Conway's glasses lit up as he gazed at Dawn.

"Hey Conway" Ash said as Conway turned his attention to the young trainer. "You ready for the second round?"

"Of course I am, and naturally I have a strategy that I have been waiting to use since the Sinnoh league, so there's no way anyone is going to beat me" Conway boasted.

"Wow…that's great…Conway" Dawn said with a fake smile.

"Anyway, I've got things to do" Conway said as he walked to the exit. "And may I just say Dawn… you look beautiful" he stated chuckling to himself lightly. The atmosphere between Dawn, Ash and Gary fell silent for a moment.

"He sure is…strange" Gary said, still confused over what just happened.

"Well, there's normal, strange, mysterious, freaky and then comes Conway" Dawn giggled at her own comment.

"Freaky or not, Conway seems to like you" Gary smiled at Dawn cheekily. "…looks like someone has someone to go with to the dance…" Dawn's face turned incredibly red from embarrassment.

"Excuse me Gary! But I don't like Conway that way! And no chance am I going with him to the dance" she told Gary furiously.

"OK Dawn, I was only messing with you" Gary said calming her down.

"Don't ever joke about that again!" Dawn shouted fiercely at Gary who flinched at her comment. To Dawn, Conway was repulsive. Mostly because of his inability to walk up to her normally, instead sneaking up on Dawn and startling her was his method. "I don't like Conway and he doesn't like me that way" she denied.

"Whatever, I've got stuff to do, see you" Gary exclaimed before walking off. Ash simply watched the events take place in front of him without saying a word, but he did notice Dawn's angry face.

"Don't worry Dawn, he's only joking. He did that with me when we were younger" Ash reassured, but something else was troubling Dawn.

"It's not that" she said with her head held low.

"Then what is it Dawn?" Ash walked into her line of sight. He could see her distressed frown on her face.

"It's just that…when a good looking guy who I really like asks me to the dance…" she looked up to Ash with her sapphire blue eyes tearing up. "…I wouldn't want that guy to be someone like Conway, but I'm worried it will be." _What am I saying? Ash won't feel sympathetic for—_ Dawn's thoughts paused when she felt Ash's arms pull her closer towards him.

"Don't doubt yourself Dawn" Ash whispered to Dawn softly, whose head was rested on Ash's shoulder. "I'm sure you'll get any guy you want" Ash said, not knowing that she secretly meant him. _Come on Ash, do I have to spell it out for you?_ Ash didn't say anything though. He merely held Dawn to try and comfort her, but he didn't say anything. _Ash…_ Dawn craved him to ask her to the dance, but Ash didn't say a word. _Dense…or just doesn't love me? _The tears came back to her eyes in an instant. Her eyes widened in shock and horror of the possibility that Ash does not love her. _No…no…I can't think like that_, Dawn tried to reason with herself. As she separated from Ash, a bleeping noise came from inside her bag.

"Excuse me a second Ash" she said, slightly embarrassed. She reached into her bag and pulled out her cell phone. A text from May appeared reading: Hey Dawn, come back to the hotel, I need to talk to you. May x

"Who is it Dawn?" Ash asked her. Dawn looked up and looked at Ash for a few seconds.

"It's only May. Anyway, I've gotta go, see you later Ash" Dawn said. She winked at Ash as she left the reception and exited through the door that led into the late afternoon air, leaving Ash on his own. He stood there for a few seconds, thinking of what to do next.

"I think I'll get some rest" Ash said to himself quietly.

"Hey Ash" a voice came from behind Ash, catching his attention. Ash turned around to see a tall male wearing a purple and pink shirt. His recognisable smile and his unforgettable stance only meant one thing.

"Harrison?" Ash said questionably. He took a closer look at him.

"Hey Ash, how are you?" Harrison asked politely. He was much taller than Ash, so he had to look down on him.

"I'm great thanks, and you?" Ash said.

"I feel great too. How's the tournament treating you?" he exclaimed whilst smiling.

"The tournament is going well, no doubt, I'm gonna win" Ash boasted. His big headedness and over confidence didn't surprise Harrison one bit. To him, that was the Ash he knew from before.

He laughed at Ash's comment. "We'll see about that" he said whilst looking at the door. "By the way, who was that girl you were talking too?" Harrison asked. "The one with the blue hair" he went on to say. Ash froze for a second.

"Oh that, that was only Dawn…" Ash said, slightly annoyed how they went off topic.

"Ah OK" Harrison said. "…you seem to be very…close to her." A cheeky smile appeared on his face, making Ash slightly uncomfortable.

"Yeah, so?"

"…do you like her?" Harrison's smile grew as Ash's cheeks went redder.

"What?" Ash shouted in outrage. "No, of course I don't like her. I mean…well, I like her…just…I mean I…OOHHH!" Ash let out his anger for himself for not finding the right words to explain his situation.

"Take it easy Ash, I was only kidding anyway" Harrison laughed. "Anyway, it's getting late; I'll see you in The Indigo Plateau tomorrow Ash" Harrison said whilst looking away from Ash, who was still stunned by Harrison's comment.

"Bye Harrison" Ash said before thinking about what he said. _Me and Dawn…I never really thought about it. No Ash! Concentrate on the tournament! You've worked too hard, just don't go off track, _he thought to himself harshly. _But she is always there for me…I remember in Sinnoh, whenever I was down or my pokemon were feeling bad after losing, she was always there to make me feel better. Not to mention she always wore that cheerleading outfit during my gym battles…she sure is beautiful. _His mind was beginning to think for itself. _No Ash! Focus on the tournament! Girls can come later._ Ash was never great at telling when a girl likes him or not. He mostly thought of girls as being friends, rivals, or just random people. Having a relationship with a girl had never crossed the mind of Ash, but for someone like Dawn, it was always on her mind.

Ash then reluctantly retired for the day after having nothing to do, he returned to his room and rested.

**Back in the alley…**

"Tracey, is that you?" The heavenly voice seemed to get louder as the silhouette of a human came closer to Tracey. Tracey didn't turn though. The exhausted individual felt the blood trickle down from his nose over his mouth. The area below his eye ached in pain as it was black around that area. Scratch marks and bruises scattered his face. Even from a distance, it was visible that something bad happened to Tracey. It was Misty who had come to Tracey's aid.

"Tracey, what are you doing here any…" She stopped mid-sentence and then started running towards Tracey. "Tracey! What happened?" Misty asked in a distressed voice. She knelt down quickly and inspected his face.

"I…got mugged…" he lied whilst struggling to talk. The aching pain he was in could be seen from his trembling voice.

"That's terrible! Are you OK?" Misty's face got more worried by the moment. She quickly placed her hand on his cheek causing him to flinch.

"Ouch. Sorry, it really hurts" he said.

"Here" Misty quickly reached into her bag and retrieved a handful of tissues, which Tracey slowly moved to his nose.

"You look terrible Tracey! What exactly happened?" Misty said urgently, her green emerald eyes began to tear up as she felt sorry for her friend.

"Well err-" Tracey began reluctantly, but fortunately for him he was interrupted.

"Tell me later actually, we've gotta get you to a safe place" Misty rubbed her eyes quickly and placed Tracey's arm on her shoulder. By this point, the Stun Spore was slowly weakening, but Tracey still had difficulty taking strides on his own. Despite not looking like it, Misty was surprisingly strong; she lifted Tracey up with ease and they started to make their ways to the hotel. Misty's arm was around Tracey's shoulder as his arm was around hers, Breloom's Stun Spore from earlier ago was still having an effect on Tracey, who struggled to walk. "What happened to your leg?" She said, slightly concerned. Tracey looked at her then to the floor.

"The mugger had a Breloom…" Tracey said reluctantly. He didn't want to lie to any of his friends, especially Misty, but he knew that the situation would get out of hand if more people knew.

"Stun Spore" she said almost knowingly. "I know what it's like. Come, I'll get you fixed up" Misty said holding Tracey's hand and pulling him into her room, as time went on, the Stun Spore began to weaken. The room was surprisingly organised. Tracey was expecting clothes to be everywhere and litter to be scattering the room, but it looked very clean and uniform. She pushed Tracey onto a bed and searched inside her bag. Tracey moved his hand to his face to feel the damage done by Kenny. _How could this have happened? Kenny can sure pack a punch, that's for sure._ He moved his hand just below his eye where he found a small lump; he could not see the colour of it, or the scale of damage that it was, all that it was painful. Tracey held the tissues tightly against his noise, collecting the blood that came out. Soon later, Misty turned around with a cloth and a bottle of clear liquid.

"What's that?" Tracey asked whilst glaring at the bottle, trying to identify it.

"It's better if you don't know" she said immediately after. Misty then unscrewed the lid of the bottle and poured a very small amount on the cloth.

"OK…" Tracey said, feeling slightly unsafe as he was unaware of what was inside that bottle, but he still trusted Misty. She slowly moved the cloth towards Tracey's cheek, when they made contact, Tracey flinched dramatically. "OUCH!" Tracey cried out as he jumped away from the sharp burning pain that magically appeared when the cloth touched his scar on his cheek. "What's in that?" he shouted.

"Alcohol. Don't worry; I know what I'm doing" she said calmly.

"It hurts though, more than the wound" he argued.

"Come on Tracey, you're stronger than that" she said flatteringly.

**(Flashback)**

_You're a fool Tracey! You're pathetic!_

_You're a fool Tracey! You're pathetic!_

_You're a fool Tracey! You're pathetic!_

**(End Flashback)**

After remembering what Kenny said to him, Tracey refused to stay weak. The cloth was merely something that Tracey would have to brave to make him stronger. If he couldn't take the pain of the cloth, he would never beat Kenny.

"OK, just be careful" he said cautiously before sitting back on the bed. Misty slowly pressed the cloth onto Tracey's scar. He did not move surprisingly. He braved the sharp burning pain of the alcohol filled cloth, and was getting used to it.

"Thanks for helping me Misty" Tracey said sweetly. A smile appeared on the girl's face as she dabbed the cloth onto his wound.

"That's OK Tracey, anything for a friend" she replied, equally as sweet.

"No really, I'm so glad you helped me"

"Just be thankful that the mugger didn't come back to finish you off" she joked, laughing slightly at her comment. Trying to break the silence that entered the conversation, Tracey said something.

"So…when did you learn about first-aid?" Tracey asked, slightly intrigued at how Misty seemed to know what she was doing. "And why do you have a bottle of pure alcohol on you?"

"Well you know. It gets kind of quiet at the gym, and when I'm not training, I learn random things" she stated. Being one of the best gym leaders in Kanto, it was not surprising for someone like Misty to pick up some interesting skills.

"You don't get a lot of challenges do you?" Tracey asked, still feeling the burn of the cloth.

"I do, but it's not so fun when my sisters are always travelling to new places and I'm stuck at the gym making it all possible for them" Misty moaned, feeling a lot sadder.

"I know what you mean Misty. Gary's in Sinnoh meeting new pokemon every day and having adventures of his own, whilst I'm in the lab in Pallet Town. I'm not jealous of Gary, nor do I hate working at the lab, but it would be nice to relive some of the Orange Island days" Tracey retorted. He missed the Orange Islands just as much as Misty did. Something about travelling around with Ash and Misty really made him feel great.

"Yeah, those were the days…" she said as she stopped dabbing the cloth on Tracey's face. "Here" she reached for a mirror and held it in front of Tracey. He looked almost surprised at how well Misty's method worked. He gazed in front of the mirror for a few seconds, analysing Misty's work.

"Wow Misty! It worked like a charm" he said happily, he felt no pain and he could move again. He moved his hand to his black eye and frowned. He glared again in the mirror and the black outlining of his eye. His black eye acted as a burden to him. People may think of him differently or see him in a different way. "It looks terrible" he said solemnly.

"You still look handsome to me" Misty blurted out. She immediately covered her mouth with her hand, shocked that she said such a thing. She glanced at Tracey who looked at her with his cheeks shaded a light red colour. He smiled at her lightly, almost impossible to tell if he was smiling, but he felt good inside. Misty's hand stayed on her mouth and her eyes were fixed on Tracey. Something about him caused her eyes to be ensnared, maybe his caring attitude, maybe his vast knowledge or maybe the fact that he looks after her just as much as she looks after him. Tracey hadn't acted the same since Pallet Town, he walked differently, talked differently and all round looked at everything in a different perspective, Misty noticed all this, but she felt as if it is not her business. After only a few days since leaving Pallet Town, certain feelings began growing inside her for the pokemon watcher, feelings that contradicted what she said about Ash. She had no idea if Tracey had had the same thoughts about Misty, but it was too much of a risk for her to ask.

Tracey giggled, as did Misty. "Anyway, I better get going. Thanks again" Tracey said, pleased that his face was no longer covered with the harsh marks that were left by Kenny. He got up and walked out the room slowly. Misty didn't say a thing as he exited; she stared into mid-air in shock at what she said. _Did I really say that? Or maybe I'm just imagining it. Oh damn! I forgot to ask him about the mugger! Shall I ask him now…no. I'll ask him tomorrow about the mugger, he's had a hard day and he must be tired, _she thought sympathetically about him. Misty looked at the mirror that Tracey had placed on her bed. _He does look handsome though, black eye or no black eye._

**On the way back to the hotel…**

The young blue haired co-ordinator was walking down the empty road to meet up with May.

"Dawn" a voice came from behind her. Walking just a few metres away was Paul. She turned around and frowned at him.

"Oh, hey Paul" she said as if totally uninterested. There was a hint of anger in her voice that was easily detected by Paul.

"Why are you mad at me?" he slowly said. Paul knew that he was something to do with Ash.

"I never said I was mad" Dawn said.

"Yeah, but it doesn't take a genius to know" Paul said wittingly. A short silence followed, which ended with Dawn's sigh.

"Why do you hate Ash? He's never done anything bad you know" Dawn said.

"I just… don't like him" he said slowly whilst trying to pick the right words. "He doesn't understand that pokemon are meant for battling, research and nothing else" he retorted. "And that Gallade is hardly worth recognition. A psychic type should easily beat a poison type, but it barely was able to stand up to it and it fluked the win."

"Ash worked very hard in raising his Gallade, the least you can do is congratulate him for his efforts" Dawn said slightly angrily.

"If that's how he raises all his pokemon, he won't get very far in the tournament" he said. Dawn stepped in front of Paul, halting him.

"OK Paul, you've gone far enough in insulting Ash. Now tell me, why do you hate him so much?" She was very angry now, aswell as intrigued. "Are you jealous of Ash? All because he beat you in the Sinnoh League." Jealousy was the reason. Not because Ash beat Paul in the Sinnoh league though, but because Dawn travels around with him. Paul was unfortunate enough to be the kind of person who didn't make friends easily. He had the urge to criticize everything and everyone, but not Dawn.

"I don't like the way that Ash treats his pokemon. Pokemon are meant to be used for battling and that's it" he lied. "All this talk about being friends with your pokemon and bonding with your pokemon, it's not me"

"You've never bonded with any of your pokemon?" Dawn asked him, slightly shocked.

"No" he said firmly.

"Why not?" Dawn asked him again.

"What's with all the questions?" Paul said, feeling slightly unsafe.

"If you don't want to answer them, then you don't have to." A short silence followed.

"Pokemon were made for fighting" Paul's philosophy was never going to change. Dawn frowned. "What's wrong?" he asked, sounding sweetly. She didn't say anything though. Paul was beginning to think that it was something that he said. "So…how are your contests going?" Paul didn't know much about contests, nor did he know how well Dawn does in contests.

"I haven't competed in about 2 months now. But after the tournament, I'm thinking of travelling to a new region and start competing in contests there" she exclaimed with her mood suddenly lifted.

"Do you find them difficult?" Paul asked her.

"It can be tough sometimes, but I've got my pokemon and they've got me" she said smiling cheerfully. Her contagious smile forced Paul to give a rare smile.

"So you have a bond with your pokemon?" he said.

"Of course, my pokemon and I are so close together" she said joyfully. A long silence passed when Paul couldn't think of any more questions.

"Hey Dawn…" he said, getting her attention. "…Do you hate me?" Paul looked at her critically. His question startled Dawn. She took a moment thinking of a good answer without hurting him.

"W-what made you say that Paul?" She felt slightly sorry for him.

"Because…people just don't like me…" he said, failing to think of a good enough reason.

"…I don't hate you Paul…" she said. "In fact, I think you're allright". The fiery crimson blush struck Paul's cheeks just as his heart sprung into life again. "Sure your ways of raising pokemon are not right and you treat Ash like garbage even though he's never done anything bad to you, but I don't hate you" she smiled at him with her irresistible smile. This only made his cheeks go redder and redder, yet Dawn still hadn't noticed.

"Thanks Dawn…" he thanked her. They walked up to a crossroad. Paul quickly glanced to the right as Dawn glanced to the left.

"Well, I'm this way" Dawn stated as she looked back at Paul.

"And I'm this way" Paul said as he looked back at her.

"I'll see you around Paul" she said before walking to the left.

"See you soon Dawn" he said before walking to the right. _That's all the evidence I need. Dawn Berlitz loves me, I'm certain of it_. Paul was so adamant that Dawn loved him more than Ash. He walked down the street with a swagger and a joyful smile. His cheeks started to settle down and go back to their natural colour, but the roaring flame in his heart was still burning brightly. Paul's harsh and unforgiving side was never shown to Dawn, but when it was shown to others, Dawn easily noticed. Paul thought that Dawn will be his no matter what, but a certain young co-ordinator thinks otherwise…

Behind a nearby tree, Kenny observed Paul and Dawn's interaction. He heard every word of it. He watched Paul's smug expression as he walked down the street, his overconfident swagger accompanied by his friendly look. It was obvious to Kenny that Dawn had said something to him that made him like this. "You may not know Paul, but Dawn has already been taken" Kenny quietly said to himself. He was just as certain as Paul that Dawn will be his. He hadn't washed his hands since his encounter with Tracey, the stench of blood clung to his hands still and his sinister face glared at Paul as he walked down the street. "Just as long as you don't get in my way" he said to himself before walking off. A hint of jealousy was inside him. Ash was hard enough to get away from Dawn, but the way Paul acted in front of Dawn just then made him a formidable rival.

**With Dawn, on the way to the hotel…**

Dawn's encounter with Paul was seen in different perspectives. To Paul, it was as if an angel came down from the heavens and blessed him with the ability to love. To Dawn, it was just a friendly chat. No matter what Paul thought, Dawn's heart belonged to Ash. It was just a matter of getting closer to him. Despite all this though, Paul and Ash was the last thing on Dawn's mind. Just in front of the hotel, standing alone was May.

"Dawn, can we talk?" May said, frowning.

"I have something to say aswell May" Dawn followed. They made their way to their room where they stopped.

"What did you need to tell me Dawn?" May asked.

"I want to know what's going on" she demanded. "What has Drew done to you or you've done to Drew?" Dawn wondered.

"…you really want to know?"

"Yes, of course" Dawn said.

May sighed. "Not so long ago, I was travelling with Ash, Brock and Max. I began taking part in pokemon contests, which is where I met Drew" May started.

"Go on" Dawn took her seat on the bed opposite May.

"At first, Drew was insulting and criticizing, a bit like Paul is to Ash. He taunted me before and after almost every contest for the first few contests that I participated in" May remembered clearly how Drew was always stuck up and self-centred.

"Then what happened?"

"But then he gave me a rose…" The first rose Drew gave to May was still fresh in the young co-ordinators mind.

"Drew gave you a rose? How sweet!" Dawn squealed, jealous of May.

"But then he said straight afterwards that it was for Beautifly, not for me"

"Oh…" Dawn said, sounding slightly disappointed.

"But me being me, I always thought that the rose was secretly for me" May said. "Whenever he gave me a rose, I blushed. He still teased me in contests, but he sometimes did help me. And of course, with his good looks and the fact that he was starting to seem like a nice guy, I was onto him"

"Did he like you back then?" Dawn asked.

"I was never sure. The roses he left my Beautifly and the help he gave me when I needed it was never really enough to know"

"Then why don't you like him now? It's obvious that he loves you May". After analysing Drew's actions over the last few days, it was clear that Drew had something for May.

"I'll explain. When I travelled with Ash, Brock and Max, I thought the world of Drew, but being the popular co-ordinator that he was, there were so many girls that thought the same thing. Whenever I just wanted to have a friendly chat with Drew, there would always be some girl who would ask for his autograph and get in my way. I could've easily just punched the girls, but I'm a co-ordinator and I have a reputation to keep"

"I know what you mean May. But why do you avoid Drew now?"

"I never had the courage to tell Drew that I loved him. I dropped hints everywhere hoping that he would say that he loved me, but it never happened. The screaming girls, the life of being a co-ordinator just kept getting in the way. Until one night, just after the Grand Festival, I finally had a chance to speak to Drew alone. We spoke for hours, even though it felt like minutes. I could see that he was really enjoying talking to me, so I asked him…"

**(Flashback)**

Drew and May were sitting down on a bench. In front of them, a large ocean that separated the different regions. The glistening moon provided a spotlight that had its full attention on Drew and May.

"I don't suppose you still have that ribbon I gave you for your birthday?" May smiled dreamily at Drew. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a light blue ribbon.

"Still there. What's so special about it anyway?" Drew asked her.

"That's the first ribbon I ever won in a contest. I was thinking that you could use it…you know… as a good luck charm" May explained. Drew replied with a heart-warming smile.

"Thanks May. You really are one of a kind" Drew said whilst putting the ribbon back in his pocket.

"So what are you going to do next?" May asked Drew.

"I'm heading for Johto tomorrow" Drew said. "I'll participate in contests there and hopefully win. And besides, I have your ribbon, so I can't lose!"

"I'm heading to Johto too!" May screamed out in joy. "And don't think you'll win so easily Drew. After all, I have loads of those ribbons" she said, winking at him. Despite it being late at night, it was pretty warm. A moment passed when the two co-ordinators looked out to sea. "Err…Drew…" May began shyly.

"What is it May?" he asked.

"I-I've been keeping this little secret for a while now…" May said slowly. Her legs shook in nervousness. _What if he doesn't love me? What if he already has someone?_ May quickly got the thoughts out of her head and proceeded. "But you have to promise that you won't tell anyone…" May warned Drew nicely.

"Depends what it is" Drew said smartly.

"Can you just promise me?"

"…OK, I promise" he said, giving in.

"Pinky swear" May said, holding out her pinky finger.

"OK then…" Drew shook her finger with his.

"OK Drew, here's the thing, I…"

"Go on…" Drew said curiously. For May, it was harder to get out than she planned. It surprised her how difficult a few simple words were to say to someone like Drew.

"I…kind of like you…Drew…" May quickly buried her face with her hands to hide her deep red blush. A huge rush of emotions flowed through May. Feelings of regret and passion were the main ones. She looked up, still hiding her red cheeks, to find Drew showing a smile that May had never seen before. The smile was filled with so much compassion and understanding, it was impossible for May to take her eyes off of him. But behind that irresistible smile, masked Drew's true feelings…

"That's great May…" he said falsely. Drew looked uncomfortable about the whole situation. May only looked at him dreamily with her trademark smile. "…but you see-"

"Drew?" A voice came from behind them both. Drew and May instantly turned around, hoping that no one had heard what they were talking about. "What are you doing out here this late Drew?" A fairly short girl who looked around May's age was standing there, looking fairly annoyed.

"I was just hanging out with my friend, that's all" he said calmly. His friend didn't look so calm though.

"Who? That thing over there?" She pointed at May harshly.

"Errm…yes Brianna, but we weren't-" Drew was cut off rudely by the young girl.

"Wait a minute…is that…May Maple?" Brianna said before having a closer look at May. Drew stood up and stood to the side as Brianna got closer to May. "Wow Drew, talking to losers like May…you really sunk, haven't you…" Brianna laughed and criticized before turning back to Drew.

"We weren't-" Drew started before being rudely interrupted by Brianna once more.

"Like she deserves talking to you Drew" she grabbed Drew's hand and held it tightly. "She knows nothing about you Drew. I bet she doesn't even know your birthday!" She laughed. "Not knowing a world famous person's birthday, that sure is something". She quickly shook off the laughter though and proceeded with Drew staying totally quiet. "Come on, let's go" she walked off with Drew, hand in hand, before May could say anything they were gone. May was astounded, to say the least. Tears started rushing out of her eyes. _Did that just happen? Does Drew really have someone else in his life? After everything I've done…after all the things I've given up…_ May's eyes watched the love of her life walk away from him, with her first ever ribbon still in his possession.

**(End Flashback)**

"That's terrible!" Dawn lunged in and hugged May. "A random girl just takes Drew, that's awful! Is Brianna the reason why you avoid Drew?"

"No. When Brianna was insulting me, Drew did not once stop her or stick up for me. Shows how much he really loves me" she burst into tears, clinging onto Dawn.

"Where's Brianna now?" Dawn asked, embracing her in a friendly hug.

"She's long gone. I think Drew had enough of her. But the way she insults me and gets away with it…"

"The nerve of some people. Does Drew still have your ribbon?" she asked.

"I-I'm not sure, but I don't dare ask him. It just brings back more painful memories" May's tears rushed out her eyes again. The memories of her and Drew mentally scarred her for life.

"…then why Ash?" Dawn said, reminding herself of the current situation.

"…Ash was there for me when Drew was not. He helped me train and become the co-ordinator that I am today, and he gave me this" May pulled out half a ribbon. "You remember seeing this don't you Dawn?"

"I remember, when we met in Sinnoh. That's the Terracotta ribbon that you and Ash split" Dawn said.

"But with Drew back and showing those same feelings again to me, I don't know what to do…" she said, putting the ribbon away.

"It's obvious that Drew loves you, so why not go for him?" Dawn suggested.

"I would…but I can't bear being hurt again like what happened in Kanto" she said, frowning and lowering her head. "Drew meant everything to me…and I'm not sure if I can love him that much again"

"No need to worry May, you'll be fine" Dawn reassured her using her classic catchphrase. "All will turn out well in the future. Just be nice to Drew…"

"OK" May said whilst rubbing her nose. The tears stopped flowing from her eyes and she looked slightly happier.

"Promise?" Dawn held out her pinky finger.

"Yeah, I promise" May giggled and connected hers with Dawn's.

"Anyway, you wanna go get some ice cream?" Dawn quickly glanced at the window, it was almost dark.

"That's what I want to hear" May exclaimed happily as they both exited the room. _With friends like Dawn, nothing can go wrong…I wonder if Drew's still got my ribbon though_… May didn't have the guts to ask Drew about the ribbon. Asking Drew about the ribbon will just bring back the painful memories and mentally scar her even more. For now, she chose to leave her ribbon in Drew's hands.

**At night…**

The sounds of Murkrow and Noctowl echo in the night sky. The moon's spotlight was centred on The Indigo Plateau stadium. It was hard to imagine how some people were not able to sleep, but it happened. Tracey slept like a baby, despite his black eye and the faint marks on his face. Misty however, was worried for Tracey. She twisted and turned in her bed with her eyes fully wide open. _Poor Tracey. At least he's feeling better._ A sudden thought struck her head. _…but what kind of a mugger would beat someone up…and not take anything?_ She remembered Tracey having all his pokeballs with him. He didn't look like he was missing anything. _So why would a mugger not take anything from him? Is there something he didn't tell me? I'll ask him that tomorrow._

**The trainer's hotel…**

Unlike Misty, Ash was fast asleep after having such a hectic day. He didn't look peaceful though. He began fidgeting and mumbling certain words.

"And the winner…" He was dreaming again. "…the winner is…"

"_And the winner of The Rivalry Tournament and newly titled Pokemon Master, Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town!" The announcer called out as seas of people roared out in applause, all cheering for their new champion. He turned around to see a lone figure standing behind him. His purple hair and his signature angry look on his face made him recognisable to Ash. "Paul?" Paul didn't answer though. He simply glared at the newly turned champion. "Paul, where is everyone?" Ash asked. None of Ash's friends were there, nor his family, just Paul. Paul grabbed a pokeball and threw it to the side of him. A tall pokemon, mostly white with a green head appeared in front of him. It was a Gallade, and a well raised one for that matter. "Paul, you never said you had a Gallade" Ash reached for one of his pokeballs, only to feel five instead of six. He panicked as Paul smiled menacingly. One of Ash's pokeballs were missing, and then he realised, Paul had his Gallade. "Paul! Give me back my Gallade!"_

"_Psycho Cut" Paul said. The blade type pokemon hurled light blue rings at Ash._

"_Gallade, it's me! Ash!" The pokemon didn't stop though. The light blue rings were carefully dodged by Ash. He quickly reached for one of his pokeballs and threw it high in the air, but nothing came out. The pokeball simply fell on the floor, motionless. "What?" He threw a second pokeball in the air, this time higher. The pokeball fell to the ground, not moving or releasing any pokemon. "What happened?" Gallade had stopped firing the blue rings at Ash._

"_Close Combat" Paul called out. Why was Paul controlling his Gallade? Why doesn't Gallade remember Ash? Ash only had enough time to think of a couple of questions, for his Gallade ,that was mysteriously under Paul's control, had its fist behind its head and was ready to make contact with Ash._

"_CCHUUU!" A Thunderbolt came out of nowhere and struck Ash, waking him up at the same time._

Ash woke up from the nightmare to find Pikachu under him and struggling for air.

"CCHUUU!" A powerful Thunderbolt attack electrocuted Ash out of his bed and on the floor. After years of travelling with Pikachu, he was used to it, but not often would his Pikachu muster that much power.

"S-Sorry Pikachu" Ash said, still absorbing the effect of Pikachu's attack. Pikachu got up and made his way to his master to see if he was fine.

"Pi-ka?"

"Don't worry Pikachu, I'm fine" Ash said, standing up and dusting himself off. He looked at his pokeballs to see if they were all there. All six were still with him. Ash breathed a sigh of relief that it was all just another dream. He quickly glanced at the clock to check the time. "12:00. Still half an hour 'til Gary's battle" he said to the electric type. "Come on Pikachu."

**Also note: Updating will be a lot slower unfortunately. Exams are coming up and I have to revise so I don't screw up my future. I will hopefully update, but it won't be so often.**

**If it sounds like I'm making Tracey sound weak, I'm sorry, I love him too. But there will be chapters in the future that give him opportunity to fight back against Kenny. Onto the summary:**

**Paul's being nice to Dawn, aswell as being deluded by thinking that Dawn loves him back. Kenny knows about Paul aswell as Tracey being warned once more and losing in a battle to Kenny, he paid the consequences unfortunately. Misty came to the rescue and fixed him up using none other than pure alcohol (Don't ask, it just came to my head), but she also has feelings for Tracey. Ash has a similar dream to the last one, but this time Paul appears to own Ash's Gallade. But hey, May explains to Dawn about her past with Drew and why she is avoiding him. And that's all I can remember.**

**The time here is 23:45 and in 15 MINUTES IS MY BIRTHDAY! So no flaming please.**

**Please review guys, I need motivation to live. Next chapter is the second round of the tournament so stay tuned and remember to review.**


	9. Worried for you

**9****th**** chapter. Hurrah for 5.5K hits and a load of reviews Thanks for the reviews guys, your reviews makes this fanfic possible.**

**This is basically the second round of the tournament and then some. I didn't particularly enjoy this chapter, mostly because it was hard to write about, also I had the ideas in my head, but I didn't know how to put it down fully, so anyway, here's what I came up with:**

**Enjoy And please review.**

"Welcome to the 1st battle of the second round of The Rivalry Tournament!" The lively crowd cheered and roared in excitement. The second round of the tournament was finally about to begin and no one could've possibly been more confident and nervous at the same time than Gary Oak. He sat on a bench inside his locker room, waiting for his name to be called out. In his hands, three pokeballs waited to battle. _OK, make it into the next round and then we're onto the full battles_, Gary thought to himself excitedly. His incredible excitement contrasted with his nervousness. Only a few years ago, cheerleaders were the ones to give him support and help him overcome his nerves and bring out his overconfident side. These days, it's all up to his friends, or himself. He held his head low, concentrating and battling the nerves that he had come across.

"1 minute Mr Oak" a voice came from behind a door. Gary slowly looked up, then to his pokeballs.

"We can do this guys…" he said whilst looking at his pokeballs. He got off the bench slowly and walked towards the battlefield to be met by a blinding light and a loud eager crowd.

"In this battle we have Gary from Pallet Town!" The announcer roared out as the crowd once again cheered. In an instant, the nerves went away from Gary as he looked around to see a huge crowd cheering and screaming his name, to which he replied with a wave. "Facing off against him is Barry from Twinleaf Town!" A cheer just as loud came from the audience. Despite this though, Barry was more famous for being the son of the great Tower Tycoon, Palmer. Barry knew that he had to follow in his father's footsteps and become just as great, but to do that, he had to beat Gary. Gary looked across the battlefield to see the hyperactive trainer looking incredible psyched up. He still had the same green scarf and the white and orange striped shirt that he wore when travelling around Sinnoh, but he looked a little more determined.

"Begin!" The referee announced as both trainers reached for their first pokeball.

"Allright Empoleon! Let's get going!" Barry revealed his first pokemon to be his water type. "My Empoleon is strong, so don't think you stand a chance against me" Barry bragged.

"We'll see about that! Scizor, go!" Gary revealed his first pokemon to be his bug type. "And don't think that you'll win that easily" Gary remarked.

**In the stands…**

"Where is he…he said he would make it here on time…" Dawn said whilst looking around.

"Which one do you mean? Ash and Tracey said they would both be here" Brock said as he turned his head back to the battle.

"As for Ash, I am not sure. Tracey never usually is late, he must be busy" May noted. Just as she said that, Ash came running down the stairs and quickly took his seat at the end of the row, next to Dawn.

"Sorry I'm late guys" Ash said before looking at the battlefield.

"Ash, where were you?"

"Just had to make a quick phone call…"

"Oh, what was it about?"

"You'll see later…" he said as he turned his full attention to the battle with a smirk on his face.

"Scizor, Quick Attack!" Gary commanded whilst pointing at the giant penguin pokemon. Immediately, the pincer pokemon became a red blur as it charged at extreme speed, tackling Empoleon.

"Empoleon, use Drill Peck and get it away!" Barry shouted as the water type pokemon's crown and beak glowed. Empoleon jumped towards Scizor, rotating its body with its beak pointed towards the bug type.

"Dodge it Scizor" Gary said. Scizor's fast reactions caused it to majestically jump over the spinning Empoleon. "Now use Swift whilst it's not looking!" Gary called out strategically. The pincer pokemon opened up both its red claws and fired several white and yellow stars towards Empoleon's back.

"Great move by Gary" Brock admired him from afar.

"Yeah, but I always thought that Scizor was kind of slow, and that normal type moves aren't that effective against steel types" May said doubtfully.

"True, but Gary looks like he's raised his Scizor really well" Drew said, trying to avoid eye contact with May, but giving in.

"Empoleon! Turn around and use Hydro Cannon!" Barry said. The penguin pokemon turned around to face Scizor and then opened its beak where a blue flash of light gathered energy and shot its way towards Scizor.

"Block it with Swift!" As the flash of water came charging towards Scizor, Scizor opened both its pincers and let out countless white and yellow stars towards Empoleon's attack. Despite Scizors quick attempts, the Hydro Cannon overpowered Scizor's Swift, throwing it to the ground. "Now Empoleon, Drill Peck!" Barry watched the opportunity come towards him. Empoleon sprung high in the air where it spun and charged at the Scizor, colliding with it.

"That's gonna leave a mark" Brock remarked. "It was very clever of Barry to attack Scizor while it was still recovering."

"Scizor! Are you OK?" The crowd went silent as they watched the bug type lay on the hard ground, barely moving. "Come on Scizor. I'm counting on you!" Merely seconds in and Scizor was on the ground, struggling to get up.

"Sciz" the pincer pokemon cried out as it finally got to its feet.

"Hmm. Scizor, return!" Gary held out Scizor's pokeball and returned the tired bug type. _I'll save you 'til later_.

"Errm…why did Gary do that?" Misty asked despite her experience as a gym leader. The three girls all looked at Brock.

"I…honestly don't know" Brock amswered. "We'll see soon enough."

"OK! Kingdra, let's go!" Gary's second pokemon was revealed to be his Kingdra.

"Water type…vs a water type?" May questionably said. "What's he trying to do?"

"Agility, Kingdra! Then use Dragon Pulse!" The dragon pokemon made its way towards Empoleon at an increasingly high speed then let loose a ball of dragon energy that built up near its snout.

"Oh God! Empoleon, do something!" Barry said whilst flailing his arms about. The Kingdra's speed coupled with the forceful Dragon Pulse startled Barry, but his Empoleon remained calm. As the ball of dragon energy came closing in towards Empoleon, it quickly illuminated its wing and smacked the dragon pulse back at Kingdra.

"Great tactic by Barry! And to make it even worse for Gary, Kingdra's one weakness just so happens to be dragon" Prof. Oak smiled admiringly at Barry's tactics.

"Way to go Empoleon!" Barry shouted, congratulating his pokemon. The ball of dragon energy crashed into Kingdra with an incredible force, hurling it far across the battlefield.

"Kingdra, are you OK?" Gary's pokemon looked very hurt from the attack; nevertheless, it stood up with determination and glared at Empoleon.

"Return for now Empoleon" a red light returned the penguin pokemon to its ball. _I'll need you later._ "Now, Skarmory!"

"Skar! Skar!" The armor bird pokemon spread its wings to show its bulk to the crowd.

"Wow, Skarmory almost looks scary with its wings spread like that" May said slightly cowardly.

"Well, you did get kidnapped by one" Drew taunted whilst giggling.

"Who told you that?" she angrily shouted at Drew, who kept giggling.

"I heard it a long time ago, back in Kanto" May quickly turned away from Drew as she began to remember the last day she was in Kanto with Drew. The heartbroken May let out a few tears at the thought of it. The thoughts of her first ribbon, Brianna, and May's old feelings for Drew all seemed to have been whooshed away by a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw Dawn's friendly hand on her shoulder, and her gracious smile.

"Don't worry about it May" she quietly whispered to her.

"Return Kingdra" Gary said, pointing a red flash at the dragon pokemon. "OK, Magmortar, I choose you!" Gary said, revealing his strong fire type.

"So it evolved" Ash said to himself.

"Barry should be careful. Last time his Skarmory went up against a Magmortar, it was down in one hit" Brock said.

"Use Flamethrower Magmortar!" The blast pokemon placed its cannon in position and fired an orange beam at Skarmory.

"Quick, dodge it Skarmory!" The steel type cleverly spun around, avoiding the attack.

"Keep using Flamethrower Magmortar!" Gary said, slightly annoyed that the Skarmory got away.

"Quick! Dodge, dodge and dodge it!" Barry said as the armor bird swiftly evaded Magmortar's flamethrowers. After only a few seconds, it was visible that both pokemon were tiring.

"Magmortar, use both cannons and use Flamethrower!" Gary's Magmortar slowly held up both its cannons and began charging up a powerful Flamethrower.

"Be careful Skarmory, Magmortar's getting tired" Barry warned his pokemon. Two powerful beams of fire shot out of Magmortar's cannons, aimed towards Skarmory. "Dodge it Skarmory!" Barry's hope that Skarmory would dodge it never happened. The tremendously powerful Flamethrower attack sent the armor bird pokemon crashing to the ground, surrounding it with a cloud of dust.

"Well, fire type moves always beat steel types…" Brock said.

"That's one pokemon down, but he still has two more to go, and one of them hasn't even battled yet" Professer Oak noted.

"Allright, well done Magmortar" Gary said, cheering for his pokemon.

"Mag…mortar" Magmorter said whilst panting. Despite that though, the referee didn't say that Skarmory was unable to battle. Gary glanced at the referee once more, but he stood completely still and glared at the dust. As the cloud of dust cleared, the silhouette of a bird appeared. _No way…_ As the dust scattered, what was left was Barry's Skarmory still on its feet, but looking very tired.

"But…how?" Gary said, shocked at how a Skarmory could survive a super effective attack such as Magmortar's.

"And Skarmory's Sturdy ability leaves it standing" the announcer said as the crowd looked in shock and awe at Barry's incredible tactics.

"Well would you believe it, Gary didn't see that one coming" Misty said, just as surprised that Skarmory survived such an attack.

"And now that Magmortar is tired, I think it's time that I fought back. Skarmory, Spikes!" Skarmory spun rapidly whilst letting out sharp metallic spikes. "Now you can't switch out" he said with a smug look on his face.

"Magmortar, Thunderbolt!" Gary commanded his pokemon. Magmortar held out its cannon and let out a powerful thunderbolt.

"Skarmory, dodge it quick!" The armor bird pokemon, despite its lack of endurance, evaded the blast of thunder. "Spikes then spikes again!" The steel type spun rapidly in the air twice in a row to let down another two layers of spikes.

"This is bad" Brock acknowledged.

"It can't be that bad, could it?" Dawn asked.

"Spikes will do damage whenever a pokemon switches in" Brock started. "And when all three of your pokemon are on extremely low health, spikes could be the difference between going into the next round and going home"

"So whatever Gary does now is fatal right?" Dawn asked once more.

"Every move he makes" Brock replied.

"Magmortar, finish it with Thunderbolt" the highly fatigued flame pokemon tiredly heaved its cannon and shot out a thunderbolt.

"Dodge it Skarmory and use Brave Bird!" The armor bird evaded Magmortar's bolt of thunder and flew high in the air before plummeting towards Magmortar.

"Flamethrower, whilst it's in the air!" Magmortar held out both its cannons towards the sky and built up the energy for a powerful Flamethrower. "Now!" Magmortar shot out the powerful Flamethrowers from its cannons just as Skarmory used Brave Bird.

"Wow! Skarmory is actually going through the Flamethrower!" Misty said, surprised. Skarmory's Brave Bird crashed into Magmortar's Flamethrower, piercing the flames and getting closer to making contact with Magmortar.

"You can do it Skarmory!" Barry encouraged. Still piercing through the flames with Brave Bird, Skarmory edged itself, despite its low energy, towards Magmortar.

"Fight it Magmortar!" On impact, a huge explosion of dust and smoke surrounded the field. Both pokemon were invisible to the trainers and the crowd, who stayed in utter silence as the smoke and dust cleared up.

"I don't know how either one of them could survive something like that" Drew said. The smoke cleared up, revealing the flame pokemon, on the floor, fainted.

"Magmortar is unable to battle, Skarmory's the winner" the referee called out. The crowd cheered and roared in surprise at how Skarmory was still standing.

"Oh man, poor Gary" Ash said, lowering his head.

"Don't be too disheartened, watch" Brock smiled as Ash looked up quickly. A red sparks of energy struck Skarmory softly.

"Skar! Ska" A huge thumping noise occurred when Barry's Skarmory fainted and hit the ground.

"Skarmory is unable to battle" the referee announced.

"Recoil" Brock said smiling. "Barry wanted to take out Magmortar using Skarmory's strongest move, and now that Skarmory has laid three levels of spikes, Gary isn't in a good position"

"But Gary is a tough opponent" Dawn said.

"So Gary, what do you think?" Barry boasted.

"I'll be lying if I said I wasn't impressed" he muttered to himself quietly. "OK Scizor, go!" Gary let out his bug type. As it landed on the battlefield, it shook and fell to its knees. "Scizor, are you OK?" Gary forced himself not to go on the battlefield and help his Scizor out; instead he stayed a fair distance from it.

"Barry's Spikes has brought Scizor to its knees" the announcer said. "But who will Barry bring out?"

"Sciz" Scizor slowly, but surely got to its knees and glared at Barry.

"So who's next?"

"Allright Hitmonlee, let's go!" Barry summoned his fighting type to fight against Scizor.

"Hitmon-lee!" The kicking pokemon took its stance.

"This'll be interesting. A bug type versus a fighting type" Professor Oak said.

"Wait a minute. If they both resist each other, why did Barry pick Hitmonlee instead of Empoleon?" Misty complained, secretly defending her fellow water type.

"Blaze Kick" Dawn said, briefly remembering the Sinnoh league. "Barry's Hitmonlee knows Blaze Kick"

"That's right, and a fire type move against a steel bug type move would destroy it. Gary has to be very careful" Brock said.

"OK Hitmonlee, Blaze Kick!" The kicking pokemon, extending its legs, threw itself towards Scizor.

"Dodge it Scizor!"

"Close Combat!" Barry said, taking advantage of the fact that Hitmonlee and Scizor were right next to each other.

"Keep dodging and use Bullet Punch!" Scizor's pincers illuminated as they were thrown towards Hitmonlee, whose fists and extended legs were fighting Scizor. Dodging and hitting, both pokemon pursued and didn't back out from the boxing match. "Come on Scizor! Keep dodging and using Bullet Punch!" Scizor carried on dodging and using Bullet Punch, but Barry's Hitmonlee was quicker and able to dodge easier.

"Take a step back and use Blaze Kick!" Hitmonlee jumped back, far out of reach from Scizor's Bullet Punch, and extended its leg at a blazing speed towards Scizor.

"Dodge it!" Gary called out. As the blazing kick of Hitmonlee came crashing in, Scizor stood still.

"Why isn't Scizor dodging?" May asked.

"Scizor maybe tired" Drew noted as he turned his attention back to the battle. As Hitmonlee's long leg came charging in, Scizor grabbed it with its pincers.

"Scizor has just caught Hitmonlee's Blaze Kick! Incredible!" The crowd went into a frenzy of cheers. Catching the speedy Hitmonlee's Blaze Kick was hard enough, but catching it when you are very weak to fire was something else.

"Huh? But how!" Barry said, very surprised at Scizor's bravery. The long extended leg of Hitmonlee kept it a far enough distance for it use and non-kicking attacks. The more Hitmonlee fidgeted to get its let free from the grasp of Scizor, the more Scizor tightened its grip. "Hmm…contract your leg and finish it with Close Combat!" At the sound of Barry's command, Hitmonlee contracted its legs with its fist engulfed in a bright flame, ready to knock out Scizor.

"Bullet Punch!" Gary called out hastily. Scizor pulled back his illuminated steel pincer and punched Hitmonlee's hand causing a huge explosion. Both Gary and Barry covered their eyes as the dust and smoke surrounded the battlefield. The crowd stayed in silence as they waited for to see if the two pokemon survived.

"That's some powerful explosion" Brock said. "I don't see how any of them are going to survive that." As the smoke cleared up, two faint figures, resembling pokemon, lay on the floor motionless.

"Both Hitmonlee and Scizor are unable to battle" the referee announced.

"Another draw" May sighed. "I'm sure Gary will find a way to win" she said smiling again. At that moment, Tracey walked in and quietly sat down next to Ash.

"Hey Tracey, what took you so long?" Tracey didn't reply. He merely sat down and gazed at the battle before him. Ash moved his eyes towards Tracey and quickly flinched at the sight of him. "Wow Tracey! What happened to you?" Ash's eyes were fixated on the black mark just below Tracey's eye.

"I…don't really wanna talk about it" he said, looking back at him.

"Why not? It looks pretty serious" Ash attracted the attention of the others.

"What's wrong with your eye Tracey?" Dawn said from far across the row.

"I don't really want to talk about it" Misty and the rest then turned their attention to him and glared at him in horror aswell as curiosity.

"That looks painful Tracey, are you OK?" Brock asked.

"Look guys, I'm fine" Tracey confirmed with a hint of anger. The group quickly turned their attention back to the Gary's battle.

"Return Scizor" Gary said with an unusual smile. "You did your best and I'm proud of you. You've got him right where I want him to be" he said as he reached for his third and final pokeball.

"Return Hitmonlee, you have a good rest" Barry said, returning his fighting type pokemon and reaching for his final pokeball. "Empoleon, let's get going!" Barry threw his pokeball in the air and let out his penguin pokemon.

"Kingdra, I choose you!" The seahorse-like pokemon appeared before Gary before feeling a sharp pain. Skarmory's Spikes was having an impact on Kingdra as small explosions appeared just below where the water type was.

"Right I completely forgot" Dawn said, leaning forward. "Spikes is still there, and it looks like Kingdra doesn't like it one bit."

"Gary's gonna have to pull off something special to win this one" Drew said, also leaning forward.

"We've gotta win this Kingdra! Dragon Pulse!" Kingdra charged up a ball of dragon energy near its snout and fired it straight at Empoleon.

"Hit it right back with Steel Wing!" The penguin type pokemon illuminated its wing and hit it right back. "Great job Empoleon!"

"I knew he'd do that" Gary quietly said to himself. "Kingdra, use Dragon Pulse to cause an explosion" Kingdra once again shot out a ball of dragon energy from its snout which collided with the Dragon Pulse that Empoleon hit back, causing a huge explosion. "OK Kingdra, Focus Energy!" Kingdra rested for a moment as its body began to glow luminously. Meanwhile, Barry waited for the smoke to clear up.

"Wow, that was some explosion" Misty said. "But why would Gary use a useless move like Focus Energy?" She turned to Brock.

"…I think I know why…" Brock said, looking closely at Barry.

"Come on, come on come on! I've got no time for this!" Barry shouted, complaining that the smoke was still there. "Empoleon, Hyperbeam let's go!" Empoleon obeyed and opened its mouth to gather energy before firing it and making a clear hole through the smoke.

"Kingdra, look out!" Gary said, very alarmed and surprised at Gary's attack. The beam of energy struck the unknowing Kingdra, hurling it across the battlefield.

"Bullseye! Way to go Empoleon!" Barry cheered for his pokemon. The crowd fell silent as the dragon pokemon fell to the ground.

"Kingdra! Are you OK?" Gary said worriedly. His water type remained motionless. Gary quickly glanced at the referee, who was slowly lifting up his flag. "Come on Kingdra, I know you're tired, but we have to win this one" Gary pleaded.

"Does this mean that…" May stopped half-way.

"I…I don't know" Drew replied. "Gary's too good to fall now" Suddenly a small black cloud of smoke came out its snout.

"Kingdra?" It slowly got up from the hard ground and glared straight at Empoleon. "Allright Kingdra!" The crowd roared and cheered as the water type got up again. _Black smoke…could it be…_

"Yes! Go Gary!" Gary's friends stood up and cheered.

"Oh man, so close" Barry complained. "Oh well. Empoleon, use Drill Peck!" The huge penguin pokemon spun rapidly as it charged at Kingdra.

"Kingdra, dodge using Agility!" Kingdra quickly got out of the way of Drill Peck. "Great! Smokescreen let's go!" Kingdra released thick black smoke from its snout, surrounding the battlefield and making it impossible for Barry or Gary to see their pokemon. _Looks like you learnt it just in time Kingdra_. "Focus Energy again Kingdra!" Gary told his pokemon despite it being not visible. "OK now! Dragon Pulse!" The ball of dragon energy formed at Kingdra's snout, the Dragon Pulse pierced through the thick black smoke when it hit something. A huge crash was heard when something heavy fell to the ground.

"What was that?" The thick black smoke was thinning. The crowd didn't make a sound as they gazed at the battlefield in anticipation. As the smoke cleared up, all that was visible was the dragon pokemon standing strong, and the penguin pokemon laying on the floor, fainted.

"Empoleon!" Barry rushed towards his pokemon.

"Empoleon is unable to battle, which means the winner is Gary Oak of Pallet Town!"

"Allright! Well done Kingdra!" Gary cheerfully said as he walked towards his pokemon. "Return" the red flash sent Kingdra back to its pokeball. He looked up to see the crowd cheering and chanting his name.

"Gary! Gary!Gary!" Gary smiled. _This must've been the feeling Ash was talking about back in Pallet Town_. The feeling of respect aswell as importance rattled inside him. Gary turned and looked across the battlefield and saw Barry in the centre with his Empoleon.

"Well done Gary!" Drew shouted from his seat.

"But how did Gary do that? I thought steel types resist dragon type moves" Dawn asked.

"Kingdra's ability is Sniper. Sniper makes critical hits even more powerful, so with the so called 'useless move' Focus Energy, doing a critical hit not only was more frequent, but more powerful."

"So really, it was all about luck" Max said.

"Good battling out there Bar-" Gary was rudely interrupted by Barry.

"OK Gary, I admit that you maybe a tiny weeny bit better than me" he held up his hand to emphasise the difference between them. "But you won't be so lucky next time" he quickly said.

"Wow, you are just like how Ash described you" Gary mumbled.

"Ash is here?" Barry's eyes lit up in excitement. Garry replied with a nod. "Awesome" he said in a surprisingly high pitched voice. "I can't wait to see him battle! Later Gary" Barry said before sprinting off.

"Well, it's time I got moving" he said quietly to himself. The crowd were still chanting his name and cheering for him, a certain few individuals more so.

"Go Gary!"

"Way to go Gary!" Gary turned to where the voices came from to see Ash and his friends all standing up and cheering for him. "With friends like that…" he said to himself as he waved to them and walked into his locker.

"Let's go see him, come on" Tracey got off the end of the row and walked towards where Gary was, the rest soon followed on.

"So Gary's made it into the 3rd round" Dawn said, walking next to Ash.

"And I'll join him there" he said with pride.

"Well, you are up against Harrison" Dawn teased. "Someone you've never beaten before."

"No need to worry Dawn, I've got it all figured out" he said winking. _Did he just say my phrase again? _Dawn squealed silently to herself, as she soon blushed.

"Err…Dawn, are you OK?" Ash looked at Dawn's red face with his concerned face. "You look like you got a fever or something…" Dawn quickly turned away to hide her cherry blush.

"It's nothing" she said, still hiding her blush. _Wow…dense._

"You sure?"

"…No need to worry" she said, winking back at him, now with her blush gone. They walked up the door with a sign saying: 'Trainer A Locker Room. No unauthorised access.' They opened the door to see Gary sitting on a bench rummaging through his bag with a huge smile on his face.

"Oh, hey guys" Gary exclaimed with a huge smile on his face. The three pokeballs that took him to victory sat beside him.

"Hey Gary, congratulations!" Misty said with an equally as big smile.

"Well done Gary" Professor Oak said.

"Thanks Grandpa, I guess I just got lucky" he said, trying to be modest.

"Of course you were lucky. Everyone knows that scoring a critical hit is down to luck" Max put it bluntly.

"Thanks Max" May said, embarrassed by her little know-it-all brother.

"It was kind of down to…err…" Gary stopped whilst scanning his friends. His eyes came to Tracey. "Tracey, what happened to you? You look like you got in a bit of a scrap" he chuckled lightly. Misty quickly glared at him evilly. Gary cleared his throat and then continued. "Yeah so anyway, I'll meet you guys outside." Professor Oak walked out first, then followed by everyone else expect for Tracey, Misty and Brock. "Oh and Tracey…" Tracey turned around, aswell as Misty and Brock. "What did happen?" Gary asked as he took an apple out his bag.

"I-I don't really want to talk about it" he said frowning. Misty and Brock walked out the locker room slowly. "Anyway, I better get going…" he turned around and walked to the door.

"OK. See you later Tracey" Gary said, taking a huge bite out of his apple and walking to the mirror. He glared at his reflection, and then moved his hand to his eye. _What happened to Tracey…_ he thought to himself.

**On the way back to the hotel…**

"Ash! Wait up!" A voice came from behind Ash as he walked back to the hotel with his friends. He quickly stopped and turned around just as Barry crashed into him. "Ash, watch where you're going!" Barry said rubbing his head.

"You know Barry, maybe you shouldn't run so fast" Dawn sheepishly said.

"Speed is of the essence when you need someone's attention" he philosophically exclaimed. "Now Ash, how about we have our own battle to see who really the best trainer in the tournament is?"

"Awesome! When?" Ash asked.

"Now, if you want"

"Sure"

"Errm…Ash, don't you have a battle this afternoon?" May asked, ruining his fun.

"Oh, I almost forgot" Ash said, putting back his pokeball. "Maybe later Barry." He said whilst walking away from Barry.

"What? But I want one now!" Barry shouted, flailing his arms.

"Sorry Barry, my pokemon need their rest, some other time" he turned away and carried on walking.

"Ash, you turn around or else I'm gonna have to fine you!" Barry shouted again. "You've got 10 seconds! 10, 9, 8, 7, 6" Barry gazed at his poketch. "5,4,3- Why are you still walking Ash?"

"Barry, what a klutz" Dawn mumbled to Ash who giggled at the comment.

"You can say that again, he's crashed into me more times than Brock's been jabbed by Croagunk" Dawn laughed and smiled at him.

"Anyway, are you ready for today?" Dawn asked, trying to start a proper conversation.

"Errm…ready for what?" Ash said, having no clue what she was talking about.

"The battle this afternoon of cour-" Dawn was started, but then rudely interrupted by Ash.

"The battle, I almost forgot! Gotta go Dawn, someone's waiting for me"

"Wait Ash…" Before Dawn could finish, Ash had already ran off. _He sure is…quick_. She sighed and lowered her head. _Is this all he's ever going to notice me as? _Just behind her walked Drew and Max.

"So Max, are you ready for your battle?" Drew asked the young trainer.

"Ready? Ha!" Max laughed sarcastically. "I've stayed up all night sorting out my secret pokemon"

"Secret pokemon?" Drew asked, intrigued at Max's mysterious comment.

"Yep"

"What is it?" he asked curiously. Drew didn't expect anything too amazing. Max loved pokemon too much, so much that really any pokemon he sees is great.

"You'll see this afternoon" Max said. Drew quickly glanced behind him and saw May with her head held low looking sad for some reason. Drew was going to make his way to her and try and cheer her up, but his brain stopped him. _I think her brother should deal with this one…_He turned around and focussed his eyes on the girl in front. Dawn also had her head lowered, walking without any emotion or enthusiasm, not like her normal bubbly nature. _Hmm…what's wrong with her I wonder?_

"Hey Max, why don't you go talk to your sister, she looks a little down" Drew said, glancing quickly at May. Max complied as he walked up to his sister.

"Hey sis, Drew says that you look a little sad, so I'm here to cheer you up" Max said to May ebulliently.

"That's sweet of Drew" she mumbled softly to herself whilst blushing slightly.

"Anyway, what seems to be the problem May?" Max asked, concerned for her older sister. "You haven't been acting so great lately"

"I'm fine, sorry for worrying you Max" she said chuckling. Her mood was lifted up slightly. Just ahead of May, Drew ran a few steps forward to catch up with Dawn.

"Hey, Dawn" Drew said.

"Oh, hey Drew, how are you?" Dawn said, sounding slightly sad.

"I'm allright thanks. What's wrong with you?" Dawn lifted her head to look at Drew.

"What made you think there was something wrong with me?"

"I'm a genius Dawn. But really, what's wrong?" Drew sarcastically said.

"I-I'm fine. Just…thinking" Dawn replied.

"Ah right. Well don't think too hard, I need to ask you a favour" Drew said, intriguing Dawn.

"What kind of favour?" Dawn said sceptically.

"…Can I trust you Dawn? I mean, can you keep a secret?"

"Of course I can, what is it?" Dawn said caring more about the knowing the secret than keeping the secret.

"It's just that…I kind of like May and I need your help in-" Drew started but was immediately interrupted.

"Forget it! Not after what you did back in Kanto to May!" Dawn snapped.

"Back in Kanto? What do you mean?" Drew asked innocently.

"You know very well. May was crazy in love with you and then it turns out you were with a girl called Brianna"

"May was in love with me?" Drew said unbelieving.

"She was, but then you broke her heart by not standing up for her when Brianna insulted her" Dawn said.

"So she's been like this all this time, all because I didn't stand up for her that one time?" Drew said, thinking to himself if that's a legitimate reason.

"It's not that" Dawn said. "May was in love with you and pretty much thought the world of you. And for you to not even stand up for her despite you meaning that much to her really is something. She's really depressed about it and now every time someone mentions Kanto, she immediately thinks about how you didn't stand up for her"

"Oh, I see. Is that why she avoids me?" Drew asked.

"That's right" Dawn replied. Drew sighed heavily.

"I guess I shoulda known really"

"Why is that?" Dawn asked looking more intrigued as the conversation went on.

"Ever since we took part in contests in the Johto region, she's been…kind of underperforming" Drew said reluctantly.

"Underperforming? May?" Dawn said trying to make sure that May didn't hear what she said. "But May's the best co-ordinator I know. How is that even possible?"

"Yeah…thanks. Whilst Harley, me and Solidad all made it into the Grand Festival, she barely got her fourth ribbon. I always thought that it was because she stopped travelling with Ash, Brock and Max" Drew explained.

"I see. That must've been embarrassing watching your friends all get close to their dreams…and you're left behind because of something that you can't get over"

"Embarrassing is a bit of an understatement" Drew said. "I felt really sorry for her when she didn't make it."

"Poor May. She's too focussed on the past that she couldn't keep up with herself" Dawn said sympathising for her friend. "Who's Brianna anyway?" Dawn changed the subject completely.

Drew sighed. "She was just one of my fans, except she was clingy. Eventually, I found myself liking her from being around her too much. But I left her back in Kanto."

"Did you like May back then?" Dawn asked.

"I barely spoke to May back then. There was always an army of fans that wanted me to sign something or have a picture taken with them or something like that. She also spent a lot of time with Ash so I only assumed that she liked Ash."

"Yeah, she told me that you had a huge fan club" Dawn said. "She was heartbroken, and it didn't help with you giving her roses all the time"

"Those roses were for Beautifly" Drew argued.

"You could've told anyone and they wouldn't believe you" Dawn argued back. A heavy sigh from Drew occurred when he started walking slower. "Not such a genius now are you?"

"…Does she still love me now?" Drew asked as he felt that that was the most important question.

"I…don't know. After what you've done to her I don't think she can love anyone else again"

"I see" Drew lowered his head. He was usually a confident and suave person, but it was like seeing a sad clown. "Do you think it was my fault that May didn't make it into the Grand Festival?" Drew said feeling guilty for once.

"You shouldn't blame yourself Drew, or else you'll be living in the past, like May did"

"…So what should I do about it? Or don't you want me to be around May?"

"I'm sure you can win her back Drew, just show her that you were sorry and willing to make up for it" Dawn said, bringing back the confidence in Drew.

"Do you really think so?" Drew said with his spirit lifted.

"I'm sure you can do it Drew, just take it slowly and carefully. She'd never accept your apology if you just rushed it, she's still recovering after all" Dawn said.

"Thanks Dawn, and in return, I'll help you get with Ash" he said winking. Dawn looked at him, outraged at his statement.

"W-what made you think that I like Ash?" she shouted whilst blushing. She quickly turned away to hide her face from Drew.

"Because, I'm a genius" he said bigheadedly. Dawn chuckled at his playful arrogance.

"Well, you're obviously not, because I don't like Ash that way" Dawn lied.

"I doubt that. You've spent the most time with him ever since we got here, you were the last person to travel with him and really…I think he likes you back" Dawn's eyes illuminated unknowingly.

"You really think so! I mean err…oh, doesn't bother me" she blushed but chose not to hide it this time. Drew looked at her red cheeks and smiled.

"Busted" he said. Dawn gave up after realising that her secret had been revealed to Drew.

"…Can you keep that a secret?" Dawn asked.

"Well I don't know, it sure is tempting but I-" he joked.

"Drew!" She shouted viciously.

"OK allright I will"

"Thanks" Dawn said.

"No problem Dawn" Drew replied.

**Not so far away…**

"First Ash, then Paul…and now Drew?" Kenny lurked behind a tree. "If he gets in the way, he's gonna get what everyone else gets." Kenny was a master of camouflage, but it wasn't enough to fool one person.

"Who's gonna get what?" Gary startled Kenny. The trainer who had recently won his battle against Barry was standing right behind Kenny as he was speaking. The co-ordinator quickly regained his composure and turned around to see Gary.

"Gary! Nice to see you, and congratulations on your win against Conway" he said trying to flatter the trainer.

"Thanks Kenny, except that I beat Barry, not Conway" Gary folded his arms and glared at Kenny.

"My mistake, I always did get Barry and Conway mixed up" Kenny chuckled innocently.

"Right…anyway, what are you up to?" Gary asked, finally getting to the point.

"Ermm…you know, it's a nice day and I was just err" Kenny discretely looked around for excuses. "I was just standing in the shade." That was until he picked the best one. Kenny watched Gary's eyes glare at him intensely, hoping that he would believe his excuse.

"…Yeah, it is kind of hot I guess. Anyway, I better get going" Gary walked away without saying goodbye. _Uses the same excuse twice, uses flattery to avoid my question, is staring at Dawn for the second time. That's strike three. He's up to something…_ Gary thought sceptically.

"He could be onto us…" Kenny said quietly to himself as he watched Gary stroll away.

**Back with the group…**

Misty was walking between Tracey and Brock. The temptation to talk about Tracey's black eye was almost impossible. Eventually, curiosity got the better of them both.

"Tracey, we have to talk" Misty said in a serious tone. Misty and Tracey slowed down so they were a far enough distance to have a private conversation, but Brock walked just slightly ahead of them, close enough to eavesdrop on their conversation. "Allright Tracey, what really happened in the alley?" Misty sounded slightly angry.

"Why do you want to know?" Tracey replied.

"Because I'm concerned" Misty looked into his eyes to try and get him to look back.

Tracey sighed. "It was just a mugger" he said whilst trying to make it sound like not much of a deal. Misty was the only one that was told by Tracey that it was a mugger.

"Tracey Sketchit, tell me what kind of a mugger would beat someone up and not take anything?" Misty said, proud of her findings. "And yes, I know they didn't take anything."

"…I-I…can't tell you…" he looked as if he was going to burst into tears, but he stood strong and didn't.

"Why not? I'm trying to help you" she shouted at him, so angry that she has lost of patience with the pokemon watcher.

Tracey sighed once more. "I know you're trying to help…but I can't tell anyone" he said with his head lowered.

"But why not Tracey?" Misty asked. She looked into his eyes and gazed at them for a few seconds before being awoken from the hypnotising trance.

"_And if you tell anyone…you friends will suffer the consequences with you"_

"…I don't want anyone else to get hurt" he mumbled before turning away. "I'm gonna go for a walk now."

"Why can't you just tell me Tracey?"

"I'll tell you later, with Brock" Tracey walked off on his own, whilst Misty watched him, feeling sorry and scared for him. As he walked off, she felt a sharp pain digging in her heart. _What's Tracey hiding? _She held her hand on her heart as her emerald green eyes watered up. She stood still for a moment and watched Tracey walk away from her. Her eyes shook in anxiety as she fought back the tears that leaked from her eye. _I'm worried about you Tracey. You may not know it, or want to know it, but I'm worried_.

"You know Misty-" Misty was startled by the breeders voice. She quickly rubbed her eyes and turned around to see Brock.

"Brock, were you just listening to that conversation?" Misty said slightly angrily.

"I was, but that's not important right now" Brock said firmly. "You've got to be kinder towards Tracey. We don't know what happened, for all we know, it could be something terrible."

"Yeah, that's what I'm worried about" she said lowering her head.

"Well, if he's afraid to tell anyone, not even his best friends, then it must be bad" Brock said in a serious tone.

"Poor Tracey…"

"Hey! Are you guys coming?" Max shouted from far in front.

"Yeah, sure" Brock and Misty replied as they caught up with the group.

"Hey, where did Tracey go?" May asked.

"He's just gone for a walk…" Misty replied solemnly.

**1 hour later, at Stadium B…**

"Welcome to the 6th match of the second round of The Rivalry Tournament!" The lively crowd stood up and cheered. "It's Max from Petalburg City!" A pause was followed to allow the crowd to cheer for Max.

"Go Max!" May shouted from the stands.

"Hey, does anyone know what Max's special pokemon is? All these hints and I still don't even know" Dawn squealed with excitement.

"He's very secretive. Truth is, I don't even know" May replied.

"And facing off against Max, we have Conway from Gerbera Town!" An equally as loud cheer came from the crowd.

"Wow, Conway's pretty popular isn't he" May said whilst looking around the crowd.

"I'm not surprised really, Conway has played a major part in competitive battling" Brock said.

"Major part? What do you mean?" Dawn asked, intrigued on how someone like Conway can make 'a major impact'.

"You know when Ash faced Conway's Dusknoir and it used Trick Room?"

"How could we forget? That was an amazing battle" Ash said reminiscing of his time back in Sinnoh.

"Well you see, no one had ever used Trick Room quite like that before. People often discarded the idea of using Trick Room as it was not only rare to find a pokemon that can learn that move, but people didn't see how useful it could be until Conway used it against Ash" Brock said. "Which is where the phrase 'Trick Room teams' come from."

"Teams that revolve around just that one move?" Drew asked.

"Exactly. It's difficult to pull off, but it's possible and could be extremely effective" Brock said.

"Let's just hope Max knows what he's doing"

"This match will be a 3 on 3 battle with no time limits. Begin!"

"Dusknoir. Let's go!" A loud cheer came from the audience as the ghost type was let out onto the field.

"Hmm. Gardevoir, I choose you!" Max threw his first pokeball in the air to reveal his psychic type.

"Max's Gardevoir is beautiful" Misty said, admiring Max's pokemon. Misty chose to sit as far away as possible from Tracey to avoid asking about his eye.

"Trick Room!" Conway told his pokemon.

"Dusk-noi." For a split second, Dusknoir's eye glowed red as the field was then surrounded with a large blue rectangle, before immediately fading.

"And there it is! Trick Room!" The announcer called out as the huge crowd gazed at the marvellous spectacle.

"It's even scarier than before" Dawn said.

"That's the least of my worries. Gardevoir is a very fast pokemon, with Trick Room, it will be extremely slow. Also, ghost type moves are super effective against psychic types" Gary stated.

"So Max is in trouble already?" May asked.

"Seems so".

"It's OK Gardevoir, stay strong" Max reassured his pokemon.

"Garde" Max's Gardevoir kept its composure.

"Allright Dusknoir, Shadow Punch!"

"Wish Gardevoir" the embrace pokemon closed its eyes and hummed slowly and beautifully. Gardevoir's singing echoed around the stadium softly, captivating everyone in its trance.

"Wow! I want a Gardevoir so bad now!" Dawn squealed.

"I know, it's beautiful-" Misty's opinion was interrupted by Dusknoir's unavoidably quick Shadow Punch.

"And Dusknoir lands a very super effective hit on Gardevoir" Gardevoir flew right across the battlefield.

"Gardevoir! Are you OK?" The psychic type stood up bravely once more. "OK great! Use Psychic"

"Dusknoir, Thunderpunch!" The gripper pokemon teleported right behind Gardevoir, where it pummelled its electrified fist into psychic type, throwing it to the ground and causing it to faint.

"Gardevoir is unable to battle" the referee called out.

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late. What did I miss?" Gary took his place next to Ash on the end.

"Where were you Gary?" Ash asked him.

**Flashback**

"_Marowak is down! Which means moving onto the third round is Jasmine from Olivine City!" _

**End Flashback**

"I was just…getting something to eat. I didn't miss much did I?"

"You missed Gardevoir singing! It was beautiful" May said squealing.

"Oh, right. It looks like Max is losing out there" Gary noted.

"Yep, but he'll will beat Conway" May adamantly exclaimed.

Max frowned as he watched his Gardevoir lie on the battlefield, motionless. "Return Gardevoir, you did awesome."

"You too Dusknoir, well done" Conway returned his pokemon, shocking the crowd. Whispers and murmurs aswell as the occasional boo came from the crowd.

"Why is he returning his Dusknoir?" Ash asked.

"Knowing Conway, it's all part of his plan" Brock exclaimed.

"Now that Dusknoir has gone, it should be easier" Max said to himself as he grabbed his second pokeball. "Slaking! Go!" He threw the pokeball across the field to let out his second pokemon, Slaking.

"Slaking is tough, it should be a good match-up against any of Conway's pokemon" Tracey said. After hearing him speak for the first time in quite a while, Misty leant forward and looked across her friends to see Tracey smiling for once. She moved her eyes to the huge black mark under his eye and quickly looked away. _Why can't you just tell me Tracey?_

"Aggron, let's go!" Conway unleashed Aggron as his second pokemon. The moment Aggron hit the ground, the blue rectangle returned.

"Trick room, I almost forgot" Ash said.

"It's not a great type match-up either. Aggron is a rock steel type, which means normal moves won't do much at all" Brock stated.

"Still, Max will find a way. You can do it Max!" May cheered for her brother"

"Slaking, use Hammer Arm" the heavyweight normal type lifted its arm above its head.

"Get ready Aggron" Conway readied his pokemon. Slaking came charging in with its massive arm held high above its head until it was right next to Aggron.

"OK Aggron, Iron Head!" The massive pokemon vanished then reappeared right behind Slaking. "Now!" Aggron's pointed head crashed into Slaking's back.

"Conway really is using Trick Room to the best of its ability" Professor Oak noted.

"Slaking, grab Aggron!" Slaking spun round quickly and grabbed Aggron with only one hand.

"Max is really using those big hands of Slaking to his advantage" Drew noted.

"Now! Hammer Arm!"

"Slak-Slaking!"

"Use Iron Head once more!"

"Aggronnn!" Aggron's steel head crashed into Slaking's heavy fist, throwing both of the heavy weights across the battlefield.

"That sure did damage. Aggron's biggest weakness is fighting type moves, and with such high attack power, Aggron will be lucky to survive that attack" Brock pointed out.

"Both Slaking and Aggron are unable to battle" the referee announced. Max was now down to his last pokemon, and what his friends believed to be his special pokemon.

"OK, this is it" Drew in particular, moved forwards considerably. Conway reached for his pokeball and threw it across the battlefield.

"Slowking, let's go!" Conway's main pokemon was unleashed from its pokeball and ready to battle. The royal pokemon stood strong, watching Max from across the field.

"Max, you need to choose a pokemon or you will be disqualified" the referee told him. Max slowly grabbed his third and final pokemon with a cunning smile on his face. He gazed at it for a few seconds before throwing it into the battlefield. _It's all up to you know…_

**Gary…Barry…Garry…Bary…I apologise if I get them mixed up at any point, it's an easy mistake to make. Yeah so anyway, Gary beats Barry after some good luck. Barry's introduction to the story, he will appear a lot more often in this story, so hurrah! Drew talks to Dawn about May, and now Drew is going to try and win May back, whilst Drew is going to help Dawn out a little which conflicts with Tracey's assignment from Kenny and Paul's thing etc. Misty is especially worried about Tracey's eye, aswell as Tracey being uncomfortable with all the attention. He's not willing to tell anyone, except Misty and Brock, but will he tell the truth? Or bend the truth slightly? Ash's phonecall. And of course, Max's special pokemon is finally up. **

**First off, this is not going to be a Belleshipping (Drew and Dawn) story. It's a long chapter, but hey, they all are. Next chapter is about Max's battle continued, aswell as some other stuff which I'll think of later. I'll also make it so Conway plays a major part in the love decagon.**

**I really hoped you enjoyed it, and remember to review. I need reviews to live. Please no flaming, I'm too sensitive and need motivation Thank you.**


	10. Little Secrets

**10****th**** chapter. HURRAH! And over 7.5k hits!**

**Anyway, sorry it has been so long. Exams are a pain, but I think I did well. **

**Also, if you go on Google and type in 'The Rivalry Tournament' it comes up as one of the search options! It probably meant the golf tournament, but I'm just glad that people are reading my fanfic.**

**So anyway, here's the 10****th**** Chapter of The Rivalry Tournament. It's been a long time since I was writing, but here's what I came up with. As you may remember, we left off with Max down to his final pokemon and that pokemon that many believed to be special.**

Max's pokeball flew across the battlefield, revealing his final pokemon in a blindingly bright light. The sea of anonymous figures rose from their seats and admired the marvellous spectacle that had been placed in front of them.

"Phiii" the mesmerizingly beautiful hypnotic cry of Max's pokemon echoed across the stadium. A creature with a definable shape stood gracefully with its large shimmering eyes ensnaring anyone who has a passion for 'small cute pokemon'. Upon its head, a floatation sac sat cutely with a ribbon-like antenna connected to it. The body of it, miniscule compared to the size of its head. A single rudimentary spike under its body rested perfectly on the hard ground despite looking quite uncomfortable from afar. It's small, club-like arms swayed gently with the soft breeze that passed through the stadium. The red gem on its small body lit up for a split second when released onto the battlefield and its large blue eyes gaze at its surroundings and the roaring cheer from the crowd.

"That can't be…is it a-" Misty stared at Max's Phione with her eyes wide open and both her eyebrows raised in disbelief.

"It's a Phione! So cute!" Dawn squealed and beamed with her flawless smile at the sight of the blue water pokemon.

"And Max's final pokemon is the indisputably rare Phione that is known to be the offspring of Manaphy. Ladies and gentleman, what a battle this is going be!" the enthusiastic announcer called out energetically.

"Wait a minute. How did Max get a legendary pokemon?" Ash asked, surprised that his ex-travelling companion had obtained such a rare pokemon. Ash's fixated eyes and determined mind struggled to believe what pokemon Max had in front of him.

"Phione isn't a legendary" Drew corrected him with a smug expression on his face.

"It is! How do you explain its rarity then?" Misty argued back to Drew.

"Just because you love water types doesn't mean that it's a legendary you know" Drew calmly replied to Misty whilst flicking his green hair to one side.

"Legendary or non-legendary, it's still very rare" Professor Oak noted. "In fact, it is still often argued among us professors whether it is a legendary or not. All we know is that it's super rare."

"And super cute! I want one!" Dawn squealed again, gazing at Max's super rare pokemon. "Max surely can't let anything that cute battle, could he?" Dawn asked, concerned for Phione's welfare.

"It may be cute, but looks can be deceiving" Gary noted. "It may look like a harmless pokemon, but by the way Max raises his pokemon, I'm sure it's nothing more than a lean, mean fighting machine" Gary observed. Max's Phione appeared miniscule compared to the massive giant known simply as Slowking.

"Be careful not to stand on it Slowking" Conway chuckled playfully. To the other side of Phione stood Conway's gigantic Slowking, grinning at its opponent. "Your pokemon is simply too small to go against a mighty heavyweight like my Slowking" Conway flashed his glasses at Max.

"I don't think so. Phione, Water Pulse!" Max told his treasured pokemon. The rare water type raised its arms and fired a potent sphere of swirling water at Phione's target, scoring a direct hit.

"Slow-king" Slowking calmly said as the Water Pulse came crashing into it. Conway merely smirked at Phione's attempts and watched his Slowking shrug off the attack as if it was nothing.

"A water type attack on a water type…there's a new one" Conway commented unnecessarily. Max growled and gritted his teeth at Conway's effort to mock him and his pokemon.

_It'll have to do for now…_Max thought to himself before calling out another attack. "Use Water Pulse again Phione!" Phione raised its club-like arms again and fired another ball of powerful sphere of swirling water. "Great job Phione, it's looking good!" Max quickly told his pokemon.

"Slowking, fight back with Water Pulse!" Conway told his pokemon. With the help of Trick Room, Slowking quickly raised its arms and built up an even larger ball of water energy and then fired it at Phione at lightning speed. The two Water Pulses met in the centre where they both collided and on impact, flooded the battlefield with water.

"Get close to it" the determined Phione hopped on its single rudimentary spike towards Slowking.

"Not so fast. Use Psychic to stop it!" Slowking pointed at Phione with his menacing hand, and then a pale blue light outlined Phione's body. The startled Phione tried to move its arms to break free from Slowking's grasp, but failed. Slowking snickered and Max's Phione plummeted to the ground, feeling the powerful weight of Slowking's Psychic attack.

"Phii-Phione!" Phione cried out in pain. Max watched his pokemon lying flat on the ground with a worried expression on his face.

"Come on Phione!" Max called out to his pokemon, who moaned silently as it rose to its spike that sat on the ground.

"Not long 'til it's over Max" Conway teased from across the battlefield.

"It's not over 'til it's over! Phione, use Grass Knot!" The rare water type held both its arms out and fired out several vines, aimed towards Slowking.

"Grass Knot?" May, Misty and Dawn said surprised from the stands.

"Grass Knot would do some serious damage to a heavy pokemon like Slowking" Brock exclaimed to the girls.

"Dodge it Slowking!" With the aid of Trick Room, Slowking vanished and reappeared to the side of Phione.

"To the side Phione. Water Pulse again!" Max shouted. Phione turned to the side and let out another ball of water, aimed towards Conway's Slowking. _Any damage is better than no damage_, Max thought to himself.

"Send it back with Psychic!" Slowking held his arms out in front of him, halting the ball of water in its tracks before hurling the spinning ball of water right back at Phione.

"Dodge it Phione!" Phione jumped over the incoming Water Pulse that was sent back by Slowking.

"It's not looking too great for Max" May sadly said.

"It's not Max that's the problem, it's Trick Room that's stopping Max's quick pokemon from moving so fast" Brock analysed. "Max must find a way to slow down Conway's pokemon."

"It's not gonna work Max" Conway taunted from afar. "Having a super rare pokemon doesn't always mean that you are going to win."

"Slow-king" Slowking folded its arms and glared at the tiring Phione.

"Oh man, what do I do?" Max said to himself. _Trick Room is still there, which means Slowking is still much faster than Phione. Water type moves don't really work against water types so much… so that leaves one option. _"Grass Knot Phione!" Max commanded.

"Slowking, get behind Phione" Slowking vanished then reappeared behind the water type pokemon.

"Behind you Phione!" Max warned his precious pokemon. Phione fired vines from its arms and wrapping round Slowking's legs tightly. The huge royal pokemon tripped over the vines and landed face first onto the huge battlefield.

"Excellent move by Max" Brock admired. "Grass Knot is even more effective if the opponent's pokemon is heavy, which means it sure did a lot of damage to Slowking."

"Phione, keep using Water Pulse on Slowking!" Max took his chance and decided to attack the now vulnerable and slowed down Slowking.

"Not so fast. Slowking, use Psychic to throw them away!" With lightning fast reactions, Slowking held its arms up and halted the Water Pulses before throwing them to the side. "Great! Phione's tiring!" Conway watched the sea drifter pokemon tire as its Water Pulses are thrown to the side by Slowking's Psychic.

"Would you believe this ladies and gentleman? Slowking is literally using its Psychic attack to throw the Water Pulses away from him. Only a top class pokemon could do something as amazing as that" the crowd erupted into a cheering frenzy as they watched the fallen Slowking magically thrown the Water Pulses away.

"Keep going Phione!" Max shouted forcefully.

"Max has to stop" Drew said. "Poor Phione is being pushed too hard." Phione carried on summoning Water Pulses and throwing at Slowking.

"Keep going Slowking" Conway told his pokemon. Slowking calmly pushed the Water Pulses aside with Psychic while trying to break free of the vines that were wrapped around its feet. Not long after, the Water Pulses stopped.

"Phii…Phii…Phii" Phione panted. The red gem on its body flashed repeatedly to show that it's tired.

"Come on Phione!" Max shouted at his pokemon. His eyebrow twitched unconsciously and his clenched fist shook as the annoyed Max allowed Slowking the chance to escape Grass Knot.

"Break free from Grass Knot Slowking!" Slowking pulled apart the vines that wrapped around its legs and stood up again.

"Slow-king!" The Slowking stood up and was welcomed with a thunderous cheer from the energetic crowd.

"It's not looking good for Max" Brock said. "Slowking's free and Trick Room only means that it will go faster."

"But can Max still win?" May asked worriedly.

"Max will win. Don't worry about it May" Drew kindly replied to her, and for once, didn't flick his hair in the process.

"…thanks Drew" May smiled blissfully. She unconsciously moved her hand to her heart slowly to find it beating quicker than normal. _Thank you Drew._

"Slowking, pick it up with Psychic!" Slowking mischievous hand levitated in sync with Phione's body.

"Phione!" Max cried out. Phione, tired from earlier, levitated reluctantly at the command of Conway's Slowking.

"Now Slowking" Conway calmly commanded. Phione plummeted to the ground just as a cloud of dust arose from the battlefield. The weak cry of Phione was heard once more by its trainer as the sea drifter pokemon once again felt the immense power of Slowking's psychic abilities.

"And Phione is down!" The crowd watched in a deafening silence and anticipation Phione lying flat on the ground.

"It…can't be" Misty edged out. The tension combined with the unpredictability of the battle had got to her.

"You can do it Phione!" An anonymous figure shouted from the crowd. The dust eventually passed leaving the blue water type standing strong in the middle of the battlefield with a determined look in its eye. The water type glanced at Slowking before glancing at Conway who looked at Phione critically.

"Well Max, I have to say that your Phione sure can take a punch" Conway noted. "But you still don't stand a chance! Slowking, Water Pulse!" Slowking raised its arms and built up another potent ball of swirling water, aimed at Phione. The fatigued Phione waited for a command from its trusty trainer as the pulsing blast of water approached Phione.

"Dodge then Grass Knot!" Phione tiredly jumped high in the air, dodging Slowking's powerful Water Pulse then firing vines from its small arms towards Slowking. The royal pokemon folded his arms calmly with his large mouth grinning as the vines came crashing in.

"Use Protect" Conway calmly told his pokemon as the vines crashed in the impenetrable aura that covered Slowking. The crowd gasped in surprise on Conway's training skills.

"Water Pulse won't do a thing. Grass Knot can just be protected. I wonder what Phione's other moves are?" Dawn asked herself. She lowered her head, now and then shifting her eyes up to see Conway.

"Maybe Max is trying to surprise Conway when the time is right" Tracey looked over towards Dawn. "But if Max keeps using Grass Knot and Water Pulse, that time shouldn't be far away."

"Well Max what are you going to do now?" Conway smiled tauntingly at Max. His hands placed comfortably on his hips and his mischievous grin failing to hide itself from its opponent. "Your rare Phione is no match for my powerful Slowking."

Max's clenched fists vibrated violently by his sides. His teeth gritted behind his twisted smile. _Calm down ,Max. Conway's just trying to make you nervous, don't fall into that trap_, Max calmed himself down with his thoughts. "We'll see about that! Use Grass Knot!" The same vines came rushing out of Phione's hands once again.

"Dodge it Slowking then finish it off with Psychic!" Conway confidently told his massive water type. The sudden dispossession of Slowking's speed startled the calm pokemon as it waddled helplessly to the side as the grass vines wrapped around its legs. "…What?" Conway shouted uncontrollably.

"It appears Trick Room is no longer active. And with that, Slowking's speed has been reduced to its normal amount! Let's see how Max will use this to his advantage!" the booming crowd roared in enthusiasm as several thousand voices cheered on Max's Phione.

"W-why couldn't Slowking move at its high speed?" May leaned forward in her seat with her overwhelming smile.

"Hmm…it's possible that the effects of Trick Room have finally worn down" Brock happily told her. "With Trick Room now gone, Slowking is back to its normal slow self, which means Max finally has the chance to fight back."

"Slow-king!" The royal pokemon fell to the ground with its legs tied up.

"Great! Rain Dance Phione!" The red gem on Phione's body illuminated, causing the dark clouds to group together above the stadium and rain.

"Rain Dance? It can't be!" Conway said, outraged that he didn't know. The rain continued to fall on the hard battlefield where Slowking lay, attempting to pull apart the vines that came from Phione's Grass Knot.

"Phione! Concentrate and charge up a powerful Water Pulse!" Max called out to his pokemon. Phione held its club-like arms up and conjured an ever-growing swirling ball of water energy.

"Slowking! Break free of the Grass Knot!" Conway urgently shouted whilst Slowking fidgeted on the ground, struggling to break free. Soon enough, Phione's charged up Water Pulse reached its optimum size. Conway's eyebrows unconsciously twitched above his wide open eyes as they watched the super potent Water Pulse, powered up by Rain Dance, build up in Phione's arms.

"Phione fire!" The ball of water energy fired its way towards the struggling Slowking. Coupled with the rain falling from the sky, the Water Pulse gained speed before crashing into Slowking.

"Slowking is unable to battle, which means Phione is the winner" the referee announced. The crowd jumped off their seats and cheered and applauded Max's pokemon. The royal pokemon lay still on the hard battlefield where it met its match.

"Well done Phione. Just one more to go and we're through to the next round!" Max triumphantly exclaimed to his pokemon.

"Phii! Phii!" Phione triumphantly exclaimed with him. The cute little sea drifter pokemon jumped in the air with its contagious smile and ribbon-like antenna moving around in the rain.

"Return Slowking" the red beam returned Conway's fallen pokemon back to his pokeball. "Don't think you're out of the woods yet Max. Your Phione is clearly tired, and you still have to take on this challenge. Dusknoir, let's go!" Conway threw his pokeball high in the air, letting out the same Dusknoir that caused Ash a whole load of trouble back in the Sinnoh league. It stood fearsomely before Max's Phione with its singular red eye that glowed unearthly.

"Dusknoooir" said the nightmarish figure. The gripper pokemon took its position on his side of the battlefield with its large arms spread apart to demonstrate its immense strength to the audience.

"And Conway brings out Dusknoir once more to fight Max's Phione. With the rain falling like it is now, this is sure to be one even battle" the continued to fall from the clouds that stood in front of the sun.

"It sure is cold" Misty moaned. She cuddled herself with her bare arms, still shivering with the hairs on her arm standing up.

"OK, first thing's first. Trick Room!" Dusknoir's eye glowed red once more as the field was then surrounded with a large blue rectangle, before immediately fading. Dusknoir teleported itself around his half of the battlefield, causing the crowd to gaze in awe at Conway's pokemon.

"Trick Room is back! It's a Trick Room versus Rain Dance battle, but who will win?" The announcer excitedly said with energetic enthusiasm.

"Trick Room is back, which will certainly be for Conway's advantage" Gary noted concernedly.

"True, but Max has Rain Dance to help him. Either way, this is going to be one tough battle!" Dawn replied.

"Be careful Phione" Max called out. "Trick Room can be really powerful, so stay strong and watch carefully."

"Dusknoir, use Shadow Punch!" Courtesy of Trick Room, the gripper pokemon moved at lightning speed, punching Phione with both its illusive fists. The sea drifter flew across the battlefield before immediately rising to its rudimentary spike.

"Phione, use Water Pulse!" With a powerfully determined look in its face, Phione built up another ball of water energy using some of the rain falling from the sky.

"Dusknoir, destroy it with Thunder Punch!" Dusknoir pulled back its electrified fist before launching it straight at the incoming Water Pulse, blowing it into sparkling dust. "You may have Rain Dance to power up your water type moves, but my Dusknoir has Trick room to give it ultra-speed" Conway gloated with his glasses flashing.

"…how do I get passed him?" Max asked himself quietly. _Thunder Punch, Shadow Punch…those giant fists need to be stopped somehow._ "Hmm…Phione Grass Knot on Dusknoir's hands!" Phione listened to its trainer and rapidly shot out vines from its arms and wrapped themselves around Dusknoir's huge fists.

"Excellent move. Now Dusknoir cannot use any of its fist attacks" Brock uncontrollably grinned at Max's tactics.

"Dusknoir, break free of Grass Knot!" The gripper pokemon stretched and struggled, but failed to get out of Phione's Grass Knot trap.

"Great job Phione! Now, use Water Pulse!" The rain continued to fall on the battlefield just as Phione built up another powerful Water Pulse. The sudden attack startled Dusknoir as Phione's Water Pulse crashed into Dusknoir throwing it to the ground.

"Dusknoir!" Conway cried out for his pokemon.

"Not much longer Phione" Phione heavily breathed, trying to catch its breath after working like a machine.

"Dusknoir, break free from the Grass Knot!" Dusknoir stretched its arms, ripping the vines from the ground and glaring sinisterly at Phione.

"Dusknooir!" Dusknoir roared.

"Thunder Punch!" Conway smiled at his pokemon's efforts and called out another attack.

"Dodge it Phione!" Max panicked. Dusknoir reappeared to the side of Phione, smacking it with its fist charged with electricity. "Phione!"

"Stand back Dusknoir!" Dusknoir disappeared again. The helpless Phione looked around for the ghost type as the rain continued to fall on the battlefield. Dusknoir reappeared at a safe distance away from Phione. "Now Dusknoir, finish it off with Shadow Punch!" Dusknoir shot out a Shadow Punch from its large fists right at Phione.

"Rest!" Phione lowered its head and close its large eyes before waking up again immediately after. "Dodge it!" Phione quickly jumped high in the air to avoid Dusknoir's attack.

"Wow! What just happened?" Everyone leaned forwards in their seats in an attempt to revisit what they just watched.

"Did Phione just use Rest?" Dawn asked baffled. Everyone sat at the edge of their seats and watched in surprise at the highly unpredictable battle.

"It sure did. Max probably wanted to surprise Conway's Dusknoir for when it got tired" Brock replied.

"Surprising Conway isn't really possible" Dawn remarked. "But if Phione used Rest, shouldn't it still be asleep?"

"It should be, but because of Rain Dance and Phione's ability, Hydration, it recovers from status effects such as sleep in no time at all" Brock replied once more. "I wouldn't be surprised if Conway is kicking himself."

"…My mind is blown" Dawn turned her attention back to the battle.

Conway wasn't kicking himself, but he was annoyed. _How didn't I see that coming? Now I've got to start all over again with Phione._ "Dusknoir, use Shadow Punch!" Conway called out.

"Phione, jump high in the air and use Grass Knot on Dusknoir!" The small blue pokemon, now with its energy recovered, jumped high in the air and fired a countless green vines from its arms towards Dusknoir.

"Dusknoir, above you!" Conway shouted. The Grass Knot vines wrapped around Dusknoir, tying the gripper pokemon to the ground.

"Great job Phione! Now, finish it with Water Pulse!" Max pointed at the tied down Dusknoir as his pokemon gathered another large ball of water energy.

"Dusknoir, get out of there!" The large ghost type attempted to pull its fists wrapped in vines that were attached to the ground, but failed miserably. "Quick Dusknoir!" Conway pleaded. He looked across the battlefield and found Max's Phione still gathering energy. Dusknoir continued to tug and pull on the vines that secured him to the ground with the rain still falling from the sky and making Phione's Water Pulse even stronger.

"OK Phione, now launch it!" Phione leaned forwards and shot the ball of water straight at Dusknoir. The potent Water Pulse crashed into Conway's ghost type pokemon, throwing to the gripper pokemon to the ground. The gripper pokemon lay motionless on the battlefield with its red eye flashing.

"Dusknoir is unable to battle, which means Phione is the winner and moving onto the third round of The Rivalry Tournament is Max Maple of Petalburg City" the referee swung his red flag in Max's direction just as a large proportion of the crowd rose to their feet and broke into a deafening applause.

"Yes! We did it!" Max leaped and punched the air victoriously.

"Phii! Phii!" Phione dived into its trainer's arms, hugging Max with its tiny weary arms.

"Well done Phione, you were fantastic!" Max embraced his treasured water type with an affectionate hug. "I'm sorry I pushed you so hard, but it was worth it wasn't it?" Max whispered into Phione's ear.

"Phii-one" Phione agreed.

"Well done Max!" May stood up on her seat and congratulated her brother from her seat.

"Way to go Max!" Everyone stood up in their seats and applauded the young Hoenn trainer.

"3rd round here we come!" Max said triumphantly. Across the other side of the battlefield, Conway walked up to his Dusknoir, now conscious and still struggling to break free from the Grass Knot that tied him to the ground.

"Here Dusknoir, let me help you with that" Conway kneeled down and pulled apart the tough Grass Knots.

"Dusk-nooir?" Dusknoir said in a sad tone to his trainer.

"Don't worry about is Dusknoir, you tried your best, and I'm proud of you for that" Conway replied just as the gripper pokemon wrapped its arms around its trainer.

"Dusk-noir!" Dusknoir replied in an upbeat tone.

"Thanks…Dusknoir" Conway struggled to get out. "I see…why they call you…the gripper pokemon."

"Hey Conway!" Max made his way over to Conway with his Phione resting with its eyes closed in Max's arms. "Great battle out there. Your Dusknoir really is powerful" he complimented.

"Why thank you Max. But it's not every day that you see such a rare pokemon such as your Phione" Dusknoir released his trainer from his powerful grip and looked over at the resting Phione.

"Thanks" Max replied. "I better get going now, bye" Max turned around and walked with the crowd chanting his name like a chorus.

"Good luck in the next round Max!" Conway shouted. _A Phione eh? Looks like I'll have to make another strategy to counter one of those_, Conway chuckled.

"Let's go see him" Misty suggested. Leading off from Ash, the group followed him to Max's locker room to congratulate him on his win. "And I really want to see that cute little water type!" Misty squealed intensely, unable to hold in her excitement. All that was fixated in her mind was cuddling Max's mysteriously rare pokemon.

"My question is how did Max ever find one?" May asked herself. It was just as much a secret to her as it was to everyone else, despite Max being her brother.

"Brock, Ash and I all saw a few back in the Sinnoh region" Dawn informed them gloatingly. "In fact, Buneary beat one in a battle."

"That's impressive, but I was voted Kanto gym leader of the year!" Misty boasted her achievement back at Dawn.

"That's nothing. I once had a Manaphy as one of my pokemon" May told Misty and Dawn. All of a sudden, the rivalry between the girls returned from its long departure.

"Yeah well, I had an army of cheerleaders, more gym badges that I needed to enter the regions pokemon league, and I was driving a sports car all when I was ten years old" Gary boasted, outdoing the three girls. "And it won't be too long 'til I can add pokemon master to the list!"

Ash's ears caught Gary's words and he made his way towards his Pallet Town rival. "Not before I add it to my list of achievements!" Ash said, now psyched about his next battle and keen to beat Gary. The rivalry between Gary, Ash and Max was just as fierce, if not, fiercer than the girls.

"I think you too should be worried about Max right now. Since when did you guys get a pokemon as rare as a Phione?" Misty giggled at the arguing boys. The two boys hushed and made their way with everyone else to Max's locker room.

"Thanks a lot guys, you were great" Max told his three pokemon that stood in front of him. "Everyone one of you pulled your weight and we came out with a win!"

"Sla-kingggg!" The giant ape-like pokemon roared victoriously.

"Garde-voir" Gardevoir lowered her head in solemnness.

"Hey, Gardevoir what's wrong?" Max didn't speak the same language as his pokemon, but he knew when one of his pokemon was upset.

"Garde" Gardevoir replied an equally solemn tone as before.

"Hey hey, don't be sad Gardevoir just because Dusknoir knocked you out" Max tried his best to comfort his psychic type whilst embracing it. "You tried your best, and I assure you that you will see a load of your friends charging towards you to congratulate you." At that moment, the door slammed open and three hypnotised girls came charging in with their wide smiles and dreaming eyes towards Phione. The water type stood on the bench and watched the girls stick their curious faces into Phione's.

"Garde-voir…"Gardevoir lowered her head once more as the three girls came passing by.

"Oh it's so cute!"

"Aww! I want one so bad now!"

"It would just look great with my other pokemon!" Misty, May and Dawn squealed uncontrollably at the tiny sea drifter pokemon. Phione hid behind its small club-like arms and cried in fear.

"Oh no, don't cry Phione!" Max rushed towards his water type and cradled it gently in his arms. The three girls backed away from Max guiltily.

"Sorry, Max. We honestly didn't mean to startle it or anything" Misty apologised dearly.

"Don't worry about it Misty. Phione is…kind of shy so it's not really used to seeing other people" Max replied.

"Where did you find Phione? Aren't they extremely rare?" Dawn asked him.

"I'm glad you asked that, Dawn" Max confidently began. He sat down on the bench and began to think. "You see, back in Hoenn when I began my pokemon journey, I was struggling to survive on my own. Because I travelled alone , I had to eat, live and make money all by myself. To do all these things, I often worked at pokemon day-care centres for money. I made my money and I learnt more about pokemon. But one day, I was working at a day-care centre…"

**(Flashback)**

Dusk was the time of day in Hoenn. The fresh smell of the sea wafted with the calm gentle breeze that came from the vast sea that separated the regions. The owner of the day-care centre often brought back pokemon with him that he found injured in the nearby forests.

"Max, can you come help me for a moment?" The low voice bellowed from the other room. Max walked in and saw a baby blue pokemon, sleeping peacefully in the day-care owners arms. "It's a Manaphy" he happily told Max.

"A Manaphy?" Max replied in disbelief and awe. "But…where did you find it?" The extremely rare pokemon was merely a metre away from him and he still couldn't believe it.

"I found it just a few hours ago washed up on the beach" the day-care owner cradled the Manaphy before putting it down. "I think it's hurt."

"What do you need me to do?" Max asked him.

"…You don't suppose…you can work for a few more days…until Manaphy is ready to go back in the water?" The day-care man answered Max's question with a question.

"Yes, of course" Max replied.

**(End Flashback)**

"So how did you get Phione?" Misty asked.

"After days and days of helping Manaphy, the day-care owner gave me a pokemon egg. He told me that it came from Manaphy and that it was for all my hard efforts over the last few days" Max explained. "The egg hatched, and what came out was a timid Phione. The poor thing was scared of me at first, but we got along" he chuckled lightly just as Phione smiled at its trainer. "I often got compliments about my Phione and how rare it was. And then it came to my attention that some people may want Phione for themselves, so I kept it inside its pokeball almost all the time and only let it out for battling."

"That must be why Phione is startled by people" Tracey said.

"Probably" Max partially blamed himself before looking down at Phione. "Don't worry about these guys Phione, they won't try and hurt you. They are my friends after all" Max further comforted his pokemon with a reassured smile and held Phione out to the three girls.

"What is it with girls and cute pokemon?" Ash asked confusedly.

"Oh, Ash" Dawn turned around from Phione and chuckled flirtatiously at the confused trainer. "Because cute pokemon are always the best pokemon" she explained vivaciously before turning back to Phione to admire its rarity and beauty.

"Truth is, Phione may be cute, but it sure is strong" Tracey noted. "And with a powerful trainer like Max by its side, I think that you two should be more worried about battling Max in the next round than each other."

"Speaking of which, you psyched up Ash?" Gary taunted.

"More than ever! I just gotta pick something up first" Ash confidently walked out of the locker room with his head held high. _Oh man, I can't wait to battle Harrison! Today is gonna be awesome!_ Ash stepped outside the stadium, slightly surprised that he wasn't mobbed with reporters again, to find a tall girl standing next to a large orange dragon. The girl with dark green wild hair held a sceptre in hand and stood beside the mighty pokemon with a note in her hand. She stood firmly with pride and she looked over at Ash.

"Ash, over here" the girl called out.

"Liza! Charizard!" Ash ran over to his pokemon. Charizard's strong bulk was demonstrated by its muscular appearance. Its large wingspan made Liza and Ash look miniscule by comparison, and its sharp claws revealed by the bright sunlight that shone a spotlight on Ash's Charizard.

"Hey, Charizard, it's great to see you again buddy!" Ash ran up to his pokemon and wrapped his arms around the fire type's body. The heat that came off Charizard almost charred the young trainer as he released his grip from his old friend.

"It's great to see you too again, Ash" Liza stepped forward with a huge grin on her face. "I hear that the tournament has been quite a breeze for you."

"Hey, Liza" Ash replied. "I want to thank you on how well you've raised my Charizard. He's looking stronger than ever!"

"Please, Ash. The pleasure was all mine really" she modestly replied to him.

"Well, either way, thank you for looking after my Charizard. How's Charla and the other Charizards?"

"They're doing great. In fact, the Charizard there are stronger than ever" she said. "Oh, and I almost forgot. Here's Charizard's pokeball, and here's a list of moves that Charizard has learnt over the last few years" she handed Ash the note and a pokeball.

"Thanks, Liza" Ash happily accepted the note and the pokeball and looked over to Charizard. "I'm sure with your new strength; we can win this whole tournament!" Charizard roared and let out a scorching flamethrower into the air.

"If you don't mind, Ash" Liza started. "Can I watch your battle against Harrison later on today?"

"Be my guest! I can't wait to see how strong Charizard has become" Ash triumphantly told the Charicific Valley resident joyfully.

"Pika-Pika!" Pikachu jumped from Ash's shoulder to Charizard's head where they engaged in conversation.

"Anyway, I'll see you around, Ash. Best of luck in your battle this afternoon!" She walked off, waving at the young trainer before turning away.

"Return, Charizard" the red beam from the pokeball returned the flame pokemon to its pokeball. "Say, Pikachu, you wanna get something to eat before we train?"

"Pi-ka" Pikachu nodded cordially with its ears pointed up. Not so far off the young trainer, rustling noises came from the nearby bushes. Four heads rose from the bushes, all staring at Ash's Pikachu through large binoculars.

"Was that a monster I just saw?"

"The one with big teeth and the scary roar?"

"That's the twerp's Charizard I bet"

"Wob-wob wobbuffettt" the infamous gang, known as Team Rocket hid behind the bushes, all looking through their binoculars at the passing twerp and his Pikachu. They glared at the young trainer walking down the road with his potent Pikachu. The never-say-die attitude of the troublesome trio brought them to The Indigo Plateau where they once again tried to capture Pikachu and Ash's other pokemon.

"That Charizard is looking really strong"

"As I recall, we kept it up all night to make it that strong" James noted reminiscing of the time when they threw stones from afar at Charizard.

"Forget the Charizard, the real money's in the Phione!" Meowth turned away from his binoculars as did Jessie and James.

"Oh…and why exactly would the boss want a Phione?" James questioned Meowth.

"Because…just imagine the boss waking up with a huge migraine from last night's palooza. His head is aching like no tomorrow and then…suddenly, he calls for his Phione to sing to him gently with its beautifully hypnotising voice and then…BAM! The headache's gone and the boss is happy again" Meowth explained to his co-workers. "And then, the boss will say: 'Wow. Thanks to this Phione, my head feels great again. I really have to reward Meowth and his friends for bringing me this Phione'."

"And then we'll be rich!" Jessie squealed.

"Maybe even too rich!" James followed Jessie's example.

"I could buy all the beautiful clothes that I truly deserve!"

"All the bottle caps in the world will be mine!"

"But wait a minute. The boss is always too busy to party, and he certainly never goes on any paloozas" the excitement ended and Jessie asked Meowth sceptically.

"Speaking of losers, how are we even going to catch that Phione?" James asked.

"Fine…it's a steaming hot day and the boss is sweating his pants off. He calls for his Phione to use Rain Dance and cool himself down and then…BAM! The boss won't have to bother with the stinking weather, and then he will say: 'Wow! This Phione sure did good to me, just like what I'm going to do to Meowth and his friends'. There! You happy now!" Meowth angrily told his co-workers, annoyed that they weren't pleased with the first fantasy.

"And then we'll be even richer!" Jessie and James squealed uncontrollably.

"So Meowth, what's the plan?" James excitedly asked his accomplice. Meowth pulled out a large controller with a big red button in the middle.

"Feast your eyes on this" Meowth pressed the big red button and a large contraption fell from the sky and landed behind the trio. "It's called the twerp-pokemon-proof-capturer 3000" Jessie and James took a moment to gaze in wonder at the giant contraption that stood before them. It must've been at least 40 metres tall. It was essentially a giant Wobbuffet on wheels. It had the same blue colour of a Wobbuffet and its black squinty eyes remained. "With this baby, that Phione is as good as ours!" Jessie and James took another moment to look at Meowth's attempts at making a machine

"It…looks like a giant Wobbuffet" Jessie asked Meowth.

"Because it is a giant Wobbuffet genius" Meowth replied sarcastically to her.

"Why on earth do we need a giant Wobbuffet?" Jessie shouted at Meowth. "The one we have is already enough trouble!"

"Do you have a robot we could use? I thought not!" Meowth shouted back. A short silence followed the small argument.

"…What's it called again?" James asked Meowth.

"The twerp-pokemon-proof-capturer 3000" Meowth gritted his teeth, annoyed once more that he had to repeat himself.

"…I'll call it Wobbuffet Senior"

**Over at the other side of town…**

Tracey walked alone on the sidewalk. He didn't look at all afraid on what was going to happen though, his mind was preoccupied with what already had happened. The scratches on his face almost looked fully healed, but the mark under his eye still stood strong. His life emotionally scarred forever. His mind however, set on one thing and one thing only. _How am I going to explain this to Misty…I know she cares about me, but what if…what if she gets hurt? I can't risk anything like that happening. _Suddenly, Tracey's trail of thoughts halted when something caught his eye. He stopped in his tracks and looked carefully. Just a few yards ahead of him, Kenny appeared out of nowhere with a mischievous smile on his face.

"Kenny…" Tracey's trembling voice edged out of his mouth. The last person he wanted to see was standing right in front of him.

"Hello Tracey" he calmly replied.

"W-what do y-you want Kenny?" The pain that was sealed in the marks on his face returned. The black mark under his eye felt as if it was growing. Tracey took a step back and was ready to run for his life.

"I want it Tracey" Kenny told him slowly. Before Kenny could continue, Tracey ran the opposite direction where Kenny was standing hastily in an attempt to get away from the sociopath.

"Stay away from me, Kenny!" he shouted with his speed rising.

"You should've learnt by now not to walk out on your own…"he quietly said to himself. "Use Mach Punch!" Kenny's Breloom came out of nowhere and landed a direct hit to Tracey's stomach, throwing him to the ground in pain. His muscles gave up and his heart pounded loudly in fear as Kenny walked up to him.

"W-what do you want w-with me Kenny?" Tracey felt as if his heart was stabbed with an icy dagger he was in so much pain. He tried his best to get to his feet, but was stopped by Breloom's Stun Spore.

"Great job Breloom" Kenny told his pokemon.

"I said what do you want from me Kenny?" Tracey shouted forcefully at the haunting co-ordinator. Kenny stood by Tracey's head and looked down at him with his evil grin.

"I want…" he took a moment to pick the right words before continuing. "I want that Phione…and you're gonna get it for me…" he dragged the immobile Tracey across the ground and into the side alley, the birthplace of the bruises and scars on Tracey's face. A sudden glimmer of hope came in the form of sound.

"Is that you there Tracey?" A recognisable voice was heard by the watcher. He couldn't move his head, but anyone would've been good enough to help him in his time of need.

"Help!" The pokemon watcher called out. Kenny continued to drag Tracey across the dark alley inhumanely, passing bags of garbage and bottles of broken glass. He looked up to see the figure approaching reluctantly.

"Don't get involved with this!" Kenny shouted at the figure. Despite the viciousness of Kenny's threat, the figure continued to approach the scene in curiosity.

"It's me, May" the figure said. "What's going on?" She took a moment to work the whole scene out. All she could see was Kenny dragging Tracey along the alley. She immediately thought the worst and the expression on her face turned from a smile to a mixture of shock, horror and fear. "No way…" she refused to believe her own thoughts. "Are you the one who-" she was close to bursting into tears.

"The scars, the black eye, the feeling of fear. Yeah, it was me" Kenny casually replied.

"You monster! How could you? Stay away from him!" she shouted. Kenny sighed heavily.

"Tracey, she knows our little secret" Kenny spoke into Tracey's ear. "Now tell her, what do I do to people who know my little secret?" Kenny smiled sadistically at May.

"May! Run!" Tracey shouted from the ground. May quickly turned around and propelled her legs into gear and headed to back out of the dark alley.

"Not so fast May" Kenny said. "Empoleon!" Kenny threw his pokeball over May and released his giant water type. The immense size of the pokemon blocked off the exit for May who was now trapped.

"You let me go!" May demanded fiercely. She slowly backed away from the giant penguin that stared at her with its intimidating looks.

"Not likely. Breloom, Stun Spore" Kenny pointed at May and Breloom let out another load of orange mist from the holes in his head. The orange mist surrounded May and she fell to the ground. "Now May" he walked slowly towards the stricken individual. "I'm gonna tell you a little story…about what happens to people who think they can get away…they end up looking like him" he pointed at Tracey, who was still unable to move. The scars, the bruises…it all made sense to May. It was all Kenny's doing.

"People will know what you've done to my friend!" May fought back verbally.

"I'm going to tell you another story May…it's about what happens to those who mention…what I do to them…" and with that, he dragged May across the hard alley floor. She cried uncontrollably as her body was dragged through the dark alley. She gulped for breath whilst fighting back the tears and she closed her eyes to escape her nightmare, but it didn't work. The tears continued to flow out of her sapphire eyes that shook in dismay and distress at her situation. Kenny grabbed her by the collar with one hand and lifted her up until her face was level with his. Her dangly body hung from her collar and her arms and legs fell. "Wow, you're a pretty one aren't you" he smiled sadistically again, admiring her soft brown hair and sapphire eyes. "It'd be a shame to waste those good looks on someone else…" he felt her icy cold breath press against his face. Her voice shuddered at his intimidating words. She was trapped. "I've got no time to waste with you two" Kenny looked over at the still Tracey. "Starting with you" Kenny turned his attention back to the hanging May and her face turned from horror to sheer terror.

"W-what are y-you going to do to m-me?" May cried. The tears of horror continued to fall from her eyes and down her face. Her entire body was shaking vigorously, but she still couldn't move the arms and legs she needed. "P-please! Please don't hurt me" her quivering voice pleaded not to be harmed. "I beg of you! P-please…"

**And just so people don't get the wrong idea, Kenny is not going to rape May. And yes, Kenny is really strong.**

**I really hope you enjoyed it. I personally enjoyed writing the first battle and I may have gotten a little carried away. Team Rocket have finally made their entrance into the fanfic, along with their giant Wobbuffet robot. First thing, yes, Max has a Phione. It was that or a Spiritomb, also, Phione will play its part in the fanfic later as both Kenny and Team Rocket want it. Conway will also be in more. Finally, the ending scene with May crying and Tracey trapped took AGES to do and it must've taken me at least 5 attempts. Which brings me onto my next point…**

**Writing is tough. Right now, I'm feeling extremely uninspired and unmotivated . I'm not sure if I am going to carry on, but there may be a chance. I haven't written anything in over a month and I feel as if this fanfic is dying.**

**I really do hope you've enjoyed this and I hope that you will review aswell. **

**Thank you for reading.**


	11. Kiss of death

**Chapter 11 of The Rivalry Tournament.**

**I apologise for the slow updating, my laptop kept shutting itself down for some reason. I did somehow manage to write this chapter though within the short time that I had. Also, I've been doing a loooottt of partying lately, so for a lot of the time, I was in no condition to write. This chapter was just a filler, nothing too important happens. But still, enjoy. As you may remember, we left off in the alley where Kenny was not raping May.**

"Let her go, Kenny! She's done nothing!" Tracey fought back. Kenny immediately turned around and dropped May to the floor where she quickly caught her breath.

"Too naïve, Tracey" he chuckled sarcastically. Kenny made his way towards the grounded Tracey. "Do you think you're brave?" Kenny fiercely kicked Tracey's head remorselessly, seeing Tracey's head fly to one side and watching him moan in pain whilst the blood flooded out of his nose. As Tracey recovered from the blow to the head, May watched in horror her friend getting beaten up.

"You stay away from him you monster!" May shouted tearfully.

"I'm…a monster?" Kenny asked himself. He turned back to May, looking at her questionably. "You don't know a thing!" He shouted, spitting a mouthful of saliva at May's face. He once more grabbed May by the collar and lifted her off the ground until their heads were level with each other.

"P-please…please just let us go" she pleaded with all her heart. The colour on her face vanished and was replaced with a meagre white. Kenny closed his eyes for a brief period and inhaled the air surrounding May before smiling blissfully. For a few short moments then, all the dementedness and insanity that was in Kenny's eyes disappeared. He looked at peace and in serenity, with his grip on May's collar slowly loosening. The short lived moments of pure ecstasy for Kenny ended when he opened his eyes and glared into May's flawless sapphire eyes.

"Those blue eyes…they seem all too familiar." He had one hand holding her by her collar and the other cruelly gripped to her jaw. He couldn't take his eyes off her. "And those lips…I just…can't -" Kenny's urges got the better of him and he viciously crashed his lips against hers sloppily, forcing May's innocent lips open with his devilish tongue. She stood frozen in horror whilst Kenny vomited a mouthful of saliva mixed with the indefinable stench of alcohol into May's mouth brutally. He tightened his grip on May's jaw to which she moaned painfully. The repulsive psychopath continued to drown May in his thick saliva carelessly without thinking about her welfare. The tears streamed down her face like a waterfall, with each drop filled with fear and disgust for Kenny. Her eyes stayed wide-open, but all she could see was a sadist feasting on her innocence like the scavenger he is. Kenny wasn't finished with her yet though, his tongue forcefully locked onto hers and his lips overwhelmed hers greedily and heartlessly. She tried to back away from Kenny, but his forceful grip on May's jaw had her trapped in her nightmare. Tracey tried his best to focus his blurry eyes on the situation at hand, but all that was shown to him were two figures standing close to each other with one sobbing their eyes out.

"You brute! Get off her!" Tracey shouted in Kenny's direction. No reply was given to Tracey though as Kenny was enjoying himself too much to take any notice of Tracey. All that could be heard were the sounds of pain and crying from May. The Stun Spore was too powerful for Tracey to move his legs and body, but his arms started to regain their feeling. He slowly grabbed a pokeball from his belt and threw it in Kenny's direction. "Scyther, use Slash!" Kenny quickly released his grip off May and she fell the ground, still in shock. Kenny turned around swiftly to be met with a large slash across the face with Scyther's sharp blades. He quickly fell to the floor, placing his hand on his face to only feel the devastating power of Scyther's blade.

"Scythe!" Scyther cheered.

"Stun Spore" Kenny quietly told his Breloom. The orange mist surrounded Tracey's Scyther and stopped the bug type from doing another attack.

"Quick, return, Scyther" Tracey quickly held out his pokeball, returning the stunned Scyther to his pokeball before Kenny could do anything else.

"How many times, Tracey?" Kenny stood up and faced Tracey. He moved his hand away from his face to reveal a large cut going across his eye. Blood trickled from his wound and down his face to the hard ground of the alley. He wiped the saliva from his mouth and made his way towards the still Tracey, crushing the shards of glass on his way. "Breloom."

"Bre-loom" Breloom walked up to his trainer.

"Stun Spore him again" Breloom obeyed and the orange mist surrounded Tracey. His arm went limp and fell to the ground. He was trapped under Kenny's grasp once more. "I don't get you, Tracey" he circled the pokemon watcher egotistically. "I tell you! And I tell you! And I tell you!" Kenny viciously shouted at him. He launched his foot at Tracey's head once more, snapping his head to one side with the drops of blood flying from his mouth and all over the alley. "Well…" Kenny expected something.

"Well what?" Tracey coughed and choked on the blood that came from his mouth and nose.

Kenny laughed sarcastically. "This is the part where you begged for forgiveness last time" he informed him with false kindness.

"…I'm not afraid of freaks like you anymore" Tracey bravely told Kenny, who angrily roared and kicked Tracey once more in the head. His ferocious attack froze Tracey for a moment. Tears of emotional and physical pain gathered at Tracey's eyes. He sobbed silently, trying his best not to show weakness to Kenny who has been torturing him all this time.

"I ask for one thing!" Kenny yelled. "And you can't even do that right! Useless piece of trash" he turned his head from Tracey and focussed his attention on May. Her wide-open eyes shook at the sight of him. Kenny smiled and harshly approached her.

"P-p-please…" May shivered in fear. She coughed and choked on her tears as they trickled down her face. Kenny lifted her up by the collar again.

"You should've never got involved" Kenny threw his solid fist into May's stomach and dropped her to the ground. She gasped for air, trying to clench every last air particle the dirty alley had to offer, anything that would stop the heavy weight pressed on her lungs after being winded by Kenny's attack. The words refused to get out of Tracey's mouth; the image was almost unbearable and too hideous and sadistic for him to even think about. "I will let you go, May" Kenny started. "Under one condition though" he said, leaning over her. She continued to hyperventilate dramatically. "You get with Ash Ketchum…"

"Don't listen to him, May!" Tracey shouted, despite his words being slightly slurred.

"Shut up! I've had it with you!" Kenny shouted. "Keep using Mach Punch on him, Breloom." Empoleon lifted Tracey by his shoulders and allowed Breloom to strike his fist into Tracey's stomach several times. The blows got harder after every hit and Tracey looked weaker after every hit. All May did was watch in horror her friend get destroyed by the Breloom. Her hands trembled and her vibrating eyes flooded wildly. "Time's ticking, May. Do you want your friend to suffer?"

"No! P-please! I'll do it! Just p-please let him go!" May only just managed to catch her breath. Kenny smiled at May's wise decision and turned back to Breloom.

"Allright, Breloom" he said. "That'll do for now." Breloom stopped launching his fists at Tracey and Empoleon dropped the limp body to the ground. Not even a moan came from Tracey. The blood covered his face, but his motionless body stayed still. "Poor bastard's knocked out. Nice work, Breloom" Kenny congratulated his pokemon and turned back to May. "You know, May, Tracey defied me every time" he said firmly. "You better not do the same. Return, Breloom and Empoleon." Kenny retrieved two pokeballs from his belt and a duo of red beams returned the two. May quickly nodded as a reply. "…And if you tell anyone, this all may just happen again. Don't fail me." Kenny left the alley and entered the streets where he was out of sight from May.

**Training…**

Deep within the forests that surrounded the Indigo Plateau, Ash was training with his pokemon.

"Gliscor, use Fire Fang on Heracross!" Gliscor used the wind to fly high in the air where it charged towards Heracross with its teeth wrapped in flames. Heracross stood opposite to Gliscor on all fours, ready to endure the super effective attack from Gliscor. Gliscor swooped in from the air and bit with its teeth engulfed in flames in Heracross's arm.

"Herracroouu" Heracross closed its eyes firmly and endured the pain of Gliscor's Fire Fang. After a few moments, Gliscor released Heracross's arm from its grip and flew back towards Ash.

"Great job, Gliscor. Your Fire Fang is amazing!" Ash congratulated his flying type on his efforts. "And, Heracross, great job in blocking that Fire Fang. I'm telling you, Harrison won't stand a chance against us"

"Herraa" Heracross cheered.

"Glisc-or" Gliscor followed.

"Ok, now Heracross, use Hyper Beam on Gliscor, like we practiced on the boat!" Ash told the single horn pokemon. Heracross got on all fours, illuminating its horn and pointing it at Gliscor. "Get ready to block it, Gliscor!" Ash told his pokemon. An orange ball of energy appeared in front of Heracross's mouth where it continued to grow as time went on. Eventually, Heracross fired a potent beam from the ball of energy right at Gliscor. "Ok, Gliscor, block it!" Gliscor crossed his claw-like arms and braced himself for when the orange beam made contact. The beam threw Gliscor back in the air on impact, struggling to block Heracross's potent attack; Gliscor threw his arms to the side, shattering the orange beam.

"Gli-scoor!" Gliscor triumphantly smiled at its achievements.

"Great, Gliscor!" Ash joined his pokemon in victory.

"Gliscor and Heracross sure have sure got a lot better since the Sinnoh league" Brock noted kindly. Beside him sat Gary, Dawn, Drew and Max.

"No doubt from all that training he's done" Dawn added.

"Hey, Ashy boy!" Gary shouted. "Who's your third pokemon?" Ash turned around to look at Gary.

"You'll just have to wait and find out" he replied.

"Aren't you gonna train with it? Gary asked.

"Nope, no need to!" Ash confidently told him.

"Ah, typical Ashy boy being overconfident" Gary teased. Ash merely turned back to his two pokemon.

"For your information, Gary, being confident got Ash in the top four in Sinnoh!" Dawn informed Gary. "And then he lost against a trainer with a Darkrai and a Latios."

"Yeah, who knows what Tobias's other pokemon are" Brock asked himself.

"It doesn't matter, the main thing is that you have to train all your pokemon before a battle" Gary completely discarded Dawn's point. Seeing an argument was about to take off, Phione, Pikachu and Piplup all leapt out of their trainer's arms and wondered up to Gliscor and Heracross where they engaged in conversation. Watching the five of them, Drew rose him seat and walked up to Ash.

"Hey, Ash" Drew whispered quietly to him. "Can I talk with you for a moment?"

"Sure, Drew, what about?" Ash curiously asked the green haired trainer. Drew tugged on his arm until they were a safe distance away from the pokemon and Dawn and Gary. The faint noise that came from Dawn and Gary arguing could still be heard from where they were standing. Eventually, Drew stopped Ash and looked at him critically.

"When are you going to admit it, Ash?" Drew casually told Ash, who looked at him in a confused way.

"Admit what, Drew?" He asked.

"You know what I mean…about Dawn?" Drew smiled slyly at his friend. Ash's denseness kept him from fully understanding what Drew was trying to say, but he couldn't help but feel a light blush take over his face.

"W-what about h-her?" Ash stuttered slightly.

"C'mon, Ash, you know what I mean" he looked left and right to make sure no one was around before turning back to the dumbfounded Ash. "I mean you like her, don't you?" The blush grew richer in colour.

"Dawn? N-no!" Ash quickly denied, flailing his arms about. "Dawn and I are just friends" he said.

"Just…friends?" Drew raised one eyebrow and looked at him critically. "Then how do you explain that blush on your face" he laughed slightly. Ash felt the fiery blush that had taken over his cheeks almost scold his face. The topic of girls always had Ash flustered and embarrassed, but when it came to someone like Dawn, it was even worse.

"Yeah, just friends. Why?"

"Apart from that you spend all your time with her, she always spends time with you and that you are almost alike…nothing at all" Drew sarcastically exclaimed.

_Does he really think…me and Dawn?_ Ash tried his best to think of the possibility of Dawn and him happening, but the cherry blush that was present on his face told a completely different story. "Look, Drew, there is nothing between me and Dawn, we're just friends" Ash ended the conversation quickly, causing the redness of his cheeks to die down a little.

"Whatever you say, Ash, but if you ever need advice, you know where to go" Drew winked and walked with Ash back to the group. He watched Pikachu, Piplup and Phione fly high in the air on Gliscor's back and Heracross sucking the sap off the nearby trees. Sitting on the fallen down log, Dawn and Gary were still arguing.

"I'm telling you, Ash wouldn't stand a chance against me" Gary cockily told Dawn.

"Oh yeah? How many legendary pokemon have you ever beaten in a battle?" Dawn replied.

"For the last time, Dawn, it doesn't matter how many legendary pokemon you've beat" Gary sighed heavily.

"Ash is a pokemon trainer and you are a professor, the two don't even compare in battle" Dawn argued. Gary looked over at the incoming Ash who was standing next to Drew, watching the argument that was set before them.

"You know, Dawn…we all know that you're in love with Ash, just admit it already" Gary raised both his eyebrows and smiled at her tauntingly. She stood frozen with her cheeks burning with embarrassment. Her heart rate soared dramatically, her eyes sparkled in the bright sunlight and a smile crept on her face unknowingly. She unconsciously moved her hand slowly to her red cheeks where she felt the burning love she had for Ash take its form. "Dawn's blushing! It's true! I knew it!" Gary triumphantly shouted, taking Dawn back to reality. Gary swiftly jumped off his seat and kept himself a safe distance away from Dawn.

"You come back here, Gary Oak!" Dawn shouted, running after him. "I d-do not like Ash that way!" she stuttered slightly. The burning passion in her cheeks still remained. Dawn turned around to see Drew standing next to Ash, just staring at her with a fiery crimson blush on his face. He quickly turned away as did Dawn to hide the redness on their faces from each other._ OH MY GOD! I hope he didn't just hear that!_ Dawn thought to herself urgently.

Out of nowhere, three claws came flying out of the trees, grabbing Gliscor, Heracross, Pikachu, Piplup and Phione. The five of them were thrown into a cage by the massive claws.

"Gliscor! Heracross! Pikachu!" Ash shouted. The redness in his cheeks vanished in an instance and he turned to where his pokemon went. A large blue machine ploughed its way through the trees and bushes to where Ash, Dawn, Max, Brock, Gary and Drew were standing.

"Give me back my Phione!" Max's eyes watered.

"Now, now" the voice came from inside the massive blue contraption. Three figures came rising out of the head of the machine, one with long magenta hair, the other with shorter purple hair and a small cat-like pokemon with a golden charm on its forehead.

"Team Rocket!" They all said in unison whilst glaring evilly at the villainous trio.

"Twerps sure learn fast, but we never stop!"

"When you're a Team Rocket veteran, you never give up!"

"On the wind"

"Pass the stars"

"In your ears!" Meowth jumped up, waving his arms.

"I've got no time for this! Pikachu, Thunderbolt! Heracross, Hyper Beam!" Ash shouted impatiently.

"I thought we told you not to interrupt us during out motto!" Jessie angrily shouted.

"There's always next time, Jess" James told her.

"Right now, we gotta deal with dose twerps" the trio sank back into the giant Wobbuffet machine. The small metal cage that the pokemon were sealed in resisted all the attacks Ash's pokemon tried.

"Give us back our pokemon! Buneary, Ice Beam!" Dawn quickly grabbed her pokeball and threw it at the machine. A blinding flash of light slowly dimmed where the pokeball was thrown, revealing Dawn's Buneary.

"Bunn-eary!" Buneary shot out an ice cold beam from her mouth, straight at the cage.

"Meowth, do something!" Jessie quickly said.

"No need to worry" Meowth calmly said. The scratch pokemon pressed a single button with its finger and the giant Wobbuffet machine started to glow an eerie green colour. "Now our pokemon capture machine is completely immune to dose special attacks, thanks to this magic coat thing that comes with it."

"Neat" James replied.

"Meowth, you're a genius!" Jessie squealed. The pokemon inside the cage continued to bash away at the impenetrable steel bars that had them sealed from their trainer.

"Give me back my Phione!" Max cried. Dawn ran towards him and embraced him friendlily.

"Don't worry, Max. The boys will find a way" Dawn reassured him.

"Electivire, use Thunder!" Gary threw his pokeball in the air, letting out his yellow and black electric type. The thunderbolt pokemon unleashed a potent jolt of energy from its tails, aimed straight at Team Rocket.

"So all we have to do is get out of 'ere!" Meowth pressed several buttons, causing the massive contraption to turn around on its wheels and head away from the scene. The potent Thunder crashed into the eerie green surface that had covered the giant Wobbuffet machine, not doing a thing.

"Why aren't any attacks working?" Gary asked himself.

"Wigglytuff, Double Edge!" Gary, Brock, Ash, Drew, Dawn and Max all watched the anonymous Wigglytuff fly over their heads and punch Team Rocket's machine with powerful force, causing a huge hole to appear in the machine. The magic coating that covered the surface of the machine disappeared.

"Ah!" Meowth, Jessie and James screamed in unison.

"What was that, Meowth?" James asked.

"I don't know!" Meowth replied aggressively.

"Wigglytuff, aim for that cage!" The Wigglytuff once more pulled her arm back and launched it with a powerful force at the cage. The steal prison door quickly opened as it fell to the ground, Gliscor grabbed Phione, Pikachu and Piplup whilst Heracross flew down to the ground.

"Err, Meowth…" Jessie said.

"What?" Meowth angrily shouted.

"We lost the twerp pokemon…" Meowth quickly turned the machine around and faced the Wigglytuff.

"I've had enough of you!" Meowth pressed several random buttons, causing the machine to throw its claws at the Wigglytuff, but the Wigglytuff swiftly dodged each time.

"Ok, finish it off with Double Edge!" The Wigglytuff launched its fist at Team Rocket's machine, causing a huge explosion and throwing the trio over the horizon.

"Beaten by a Wigglytuff…" moaned Jessie.

"It's a change from that Pikachu…"

"We'll be back!"

"Team Rocket's blasting off again!" The trio cried out in unison as they flew over the horizon. Gliscor and the other pokemon quickly ran back to their respective trainers.

"Everyone okay?" Ash asked. Each and every pokemon their nodded affirmatively. They then turned around and looked at the pink pokemon that saved them from Team Rocket.

"Thank you so much, Wigglytuff" Dawn said, holding on to her Piplup and Buneary graciously.

"Wiggiliy-tuff" Wigglytuff bowed in front of them.

"Awesome job out there, Wigglytuff" everyone turned around to see where the anonymous voice came from. Standing just behind them, a girl no older than Ash or Gary. She wore a blue and black sleeveless top and a red mini-skirt that ended just above her knees. Her yellow satchel rested on her shoulder and sat by her side comfortably. She wore a white hat with a red decal of a pokeball on her head that sat upon her long brown hair. She had a contagious smile set upon her face when her brown eyes were set on Dawn. "Great to see you again, Dawn!" The girl ran up to the bluenette.

"Leaf!" Dawn quickly hugged her friend whilst still holding Buneary and Piplup. "Nice to see you again, I didn't know you were here."

"It's great to see you again Piplup and Buneary" she giggled slightly.

"Pip-luup!"

"Buneary!" The two pokemon hugged Leaf kindly.

"I got an invitation to go to The Rivalry Tournament about a week ago, and how could you resist an offer like that?" She looked over at the rest of Dawn's friends. "Care to introduce me to your friends?"

"Oh, sorry. Where are my manners?" Dawn chuckled to herself.

"This here is Brock, he's a pokemon doctor" Leaf followed Dawn to the Pewter City resident.

"A pokemon doctor? That is so cool!" Leaf couldn't help but squeal. "Dawn's told me loads about you, Brock. Is it true that you make the best stew in the world?" Her eyes lit up in anticipation.

"Well, you could say that" he replied sheepishly. "May I ask how you two know each other?"

"Leaf travelled with me all throughout the Hoenn region. Whilst I collected ribbons, Leaf took on gyms and won herself eight gym badges" Dawn informed them. "Anyway, this here is Drew."

"Nice to meet you, Leaf" Drew calmly held his hand out and shook Leaf's hand. "I haven't heard of anyone called Leaf before, is it short for something?"

"My real name is Lillian, but everyone calls me Leaf. The nickname kind of stuck with me all throughout my life" she kindly informed Drew. "Are you Drew Hayden by any chance?"

"Err…yes, why?" Drew asked curiously.

"Oh, nothing. Just that Dawn always said that she wanted to be a great co-ordinator like you or another girl called May" she replied. Dawn sweat dropped in embarrassment.

"Moving on, meet Max" Leaf bent over and looked at the young trainer with his Phione.

"Hey, Max" she smiled. "Your pokemon is so cute!" She couldn't help but squeal and touch Max's little Phione.

"Thanks for saving my Phione, Leaf. Your Wigglytuff sure is strong" Max complimented.

"Thank you, Max" she got back to her normal height and looked back at Dawn.

"And this here is Ash" she walked Leaf over to the raven-haired trainer where he held his hand out.

"Great to meet you, Ash." Leaf shook Ash's hand gently. "I've heard so much about you from Dawn, all she's been going on about was 'Ash this' and 'Ash that' and all those times when she thought about you and her togeth-" Dawn swiftly leapt in and covered Leaf's mouth before she could say anything else. Dawn nervously laughed and tried to divert her away from the topic.

"So anyway…are you competing in The Rivalry Tournament?" Ash asked her.

"I sure am, just beat my second round opponent and now I'm on to the full battles!" she replied confidently.

"Awesome, nothing like getting yourself psyched up about a new rival" Ash said.

"You got that right" Leaf replied.

"And finally, over there is Gary" Dawn lead Leaf away from Ash and on towards Gary who was sitting on the log looking into thin air. He rose off his seat as Dawn and Leaf approached him. "Say 'Hi', Gary" Dawn told him.

"Hey, Leaf, what's up?" Gary calmly held his hand out. Leaf froze for a second and stared at Gary. _OH MY GOD! He's so cute! No, not cute, HOT! _Slowly, a fiery crimson spread across Leaf's cheeks, making her almost looks as if her cheeks were naturally reddened. She felt the warmth in her cheeks, but couldn't turn away from Gary's ensnaring charm and looks.

"H-h-hiii" she weakly replied, shaking Gary's hand, taking her time to feel his soft skin pressing against hers. "I-I'm Leaf" she stuttered once more.

"Great to meet you, Leaf. Gary Oak's the name" Gary casually replied, failing to see Leaf's blindingly red cheeks shining.

"Gary's a pokemon professor you know" Dawn told Leaf.

_And he's smart! He has to be too good to be true!_ "Wow, that's quite a job" she said, finally regaining her composure. "So are you competing in the tournament too?" Leaf asked, trying to hear more of his soft captivating voice.

"Yep, got my place in the third round earlier today" Gary said, still oblivious that Leaf couldn't take her eyes off of him. "Your Wigglytuff is really strong. I just hope I don't face you anytime soon" Gary laughed slightly. A short silence passed that contained only Leaf watching Gary dreamily with her widened blue eyes.

"So, who's up for some lunch? There's a nice place just round the corner from here" Drew suggested. Everyone's heads nodded approvingly at the suggestion and the group followed Drew. Leaf quickly ran towards Dawn and walked with her.

"Hey, Leaf" Dawn said. "I noticed you've fallen for Gary's charm a little…" she cheekily taunted her.

"A little?…I don't even know Gary well enough to like him" she blushed unconsciously with a large smile on her face.

"Aha, your cheeks tell a different story" Dawn smiled once more at Leaf, who instinctively moved her hands to her cheeks to cover up her blush.

"Yeah, well…" Leaf tried her best to find a comeback. "I heard your conversation with Gary before I intruded. Saying that you don't like Ash, what a joke!" Dawn's cheeks flushed a deep red. "Now whose cheeks tell a different story" Leaf taunted Dawn.

"Fine! I won't tell if you won't" Dawn rationalised.

"It's a deal, Dawn." Leaf said. "But God Gary's hot!"

**Back in the alley…**

Thirty minutes after Kenny left, and Tracey was still unconscious. May's been calling Tracey's name all that time and he still wouldn't answer. His motionless body appeared lifeless from May's perspective. The Stun Spore was still active and was a burden for May especially as she was forced to lie in the alley and wait. Fresh tears fell from her eyes and down her face every minute they were there. She was still scared, even after the brutal kiss Kenny gave her. Her pale white face remained colourless, even after this time and her collar was soaked after it absorbed each and every tear. A large cut mark on her leg caused by a glass shard further burdened her from walking.

"…T-tracey?" May tried once more in calling out his name. Despite the situation, her voice was too feeble. She prayed that someone would see them in the alley, but no one passed. It was as if May and Tracey were in a ghost town. "…Tracey, can y-you here m-me?" May's feeble voice called out for Tracey once more, but no reply came. Tracey's leg twitched slightly, followed by a loud moan. "Tracey?" May quickly asked with the tears still coming out her eyes.

"…uuhhh" Tracey moaned once more. His arms and legs sprang into action. He heaved himself off the ground and to his feet with his face still covered in blood, trickling down his shirt. "May?" he said, trying to focus his eyes.

"Tracey!" May cried out.

"You okay, May?" he trudged his way towards her, heaving his heavy legs with every last ounce of energy he had.

"I c-can't move" she said, coughing on her tears.

"We gotta get outta here, May" he looked at his leg. After being dragged through the shards of glass, several large cut marks were visible.

"I c-can't move" she said once more, trying to move her arms and legs but failing.

"I'm gonna call for help!" Tracey started to limp his way steadily towards the light.

"No! Don't! He'll know!" Ma y cried, stopping Tracey in his tracks.

"May, we need help!" Tracey restarted his trek and resumed limping his way to the light.

"Please, Tracey! P-please!" May begged. "I'm scared, Tracey…he'll f-find us again!" Tracey turned around and looked at her sympathetically. He knew Kenny would find him again either way.

"Fine, I'll carry you instead" May nodded slowly and Tracey wrapped his arms around May, slowly lifting her up with the last grams of energy he had inside him. He had one arm around her shoulders and the other under her legs and he began to walk. Tracey carried May out of the alley and back to the hotel. No one was there to help them in the lobby, nor was there anyone at the reception. His energy depleted after every step, the burning pain got worse after every step Tracey took. He made his way to the elevator, praying that someone could help them, but no one was there.

"Misty s-should be there" May told Tracey weakly. He paused for a moment in his steps.

_Misty…but then she will be targeted… _Tracey thought.

"C'mon, Tracey!" May cried. Tracey quickly walked to the room that was Misty's, May's and Dawn's. He tapped the door with his foot and the door swung open, revealing Misty.

"May!" Misty screamed. "Tracey! What happened?" Tracey ran in and placed May on her bed. Misty rushed over to her and tried to comfort the crying co-ordinator. "What happened, Tracey?" Misty screamed. She started to cry at the scene placed in front of her. He paused for a quick moment, stuck in the dilemma that could put Misty in the firing line."Why won't you tell me, Tracey?" She screamed. Tracey froze, he didn't want Misty or any of his friends to get hurt, but Misty was on the edge of smacking him.

"P-please…don't tell her, Tracey…" May stuttered, still shivering in fear.

"Tracey! You have to tell me!" Misty said forcefully. "First the bruises…now May's caught up in it…you could be killed next time, Tracey! Tell me!" She stood up and confronted Tracey. Her weeping eyes puffed and her makeup smeared slightly. He looked over at May who didn't say a word before sighing.

"Allright, fine" he wiped his bloody mouth with his shirt. "First off, there was no mugger" Tracey admitted. He flinched, expecting Misty to smack him, but all he seen was her listening carefully, just allowing the drops of emotion to fall from her emerald eyes.

"You…lied to me?" Misty emerald eyes shook dramatically.

"Yes, but I had to. You see…back in Pallet Town, an Empoleon pulled me into the river and dragged me across to the other side. The Empoleon's trainer talked to me, told me I had to do some things for him…things that I would never do…"

"What kind of things?" Misty said, adamant to know every single detail. "And who was this trainer?"

"…K-k-kenny" May told her.

"Kenny?" She smiled slightly. "You mean that little co-ordinator that couldn't hurt a-"

"You have no idea, Misty! You don't know what it's like to have life controlled by an evil sadist that was not afraid to kill you! You don't know what it's like to know that every step you take, Kenny is one step ahead of you!" A rush of drops flooded Tracey's eyes dramatically. He sat down by May's feet and buried his head in his hands. A feeling of guilt wiped the smile off Misty's face. "He's been following me since Pallet Town, and now he's here."

"…I'm sorry, Tracey" Misty said, sitting next to him.

"No, Misty. I'm sorry, I should've told you sooner" Tracey told her, still keeping his head in his hands.

"So, the bruises, the scars and all this torture?" Misty asked him, struggling to contain her tears. "It's all Kenny?" Tracey nodded. "What things did he tell you to do?" She said, sniffling.

"Kenny…he likes Dawn. He wanted me to get Dawn away from Ash because he believes that she likes him. I never did a thing and I paid for it" Tracey explained to them. "Every now and then, he would drag me into an alley and get his Breloom to use Stun Spore on me. After he trapped me, he would beat me up and threaten me some more before leaving me" he tried to explain. He looked up with his red eyes at Misty who was standing in front of him angrily. Misty pulled her arm back and slapped him, throwing Tracey's head to one side.

"Why didn't you tell this to me before!" She shouted. "This is serious!" He froze for a moment, slowly moving his hand to where Misty slapped him. The faint handprint on Tracey's hand was covered by his hand.

"I want you to know, Misty" Tracey started. "After everything Kenny's done to me today, that was the least painful thing that has happened to me all day." Misty's eyes shivered with guilt. She took a step forward and wrapped her arms around Tracey, clinging on to him whilst his shirt soaked up her tears.

"I'm sorry, Tracey" Misty continued to cling onto his shirt, wiping her tears on it. "I really am, it's just that…you don't know how much I care about you two."

"Don't worry about it, Misty" Tracey said, eventually hugging her back. He soon let her go and they both faced May. "How are you feeling, May?"

"P-please don't tell anyone." It was almost as if she was pleading.

"No one will know, especially Dawn or Ash" Misty said to her.

May shivered slightly. "What ab-bout Ash's b-battle?" she said.

"…you stay here, wait for the Stun Spore to wear off a little. We'll tell them that you're ill" Misty told her.

"But w-what about Kenny?" Her eyes swelled up, a burst of tears flooded from her innocent eyes as soon as the name came into her mind.

"May" Tracey walked up to her. "Can you promise me something?" She nodded slowly. "Promise me not to do anything Kenny says."

"No! I c-can't! Kenny will kill me!" May exaggerated. Misty's eyes caught her hands shivering in fear.

"Look, May" Misty began, holding May's hand. "We're your friends, and with us by your side, Kenny won't go anywhere near you" she reassured.

"P-p-promise?" May's eyes widened.

"We promise, May" Tracey said to her comfortingly. "I better clean myself up, get well soon, May" Tracey exclaimed, heading to the door when he was stopped by something grabbing his hand.

"Tracey" Misty was the one holding him back. She looked at him with her sparkling emerald green eyes that only glistened with her tears. "Please be careful out there" she finally said, still holding onto his hand.

"Don't worry about me, Misty" Tracey replied. _It's if Kenny finds out…that's what I'm worried about_. Misty smiled at him lovingly, still holding onto his hand and day dreaming at him. "Errm…Misty?"

"Oh, sorry, Tracey" she chuckled slightly, letting go of his hand in the process. Tracey smiled back at her and left the room, closing the door gently on his way out. _Sorry I brought you into this, Misty_, Tracey guiltily thought to himself.

**At the restaurant… (Some serious contrasting problems…)**

At the other side of town, a small restaurant sat cosily in the middle of the street. Drew, Brock, Max, Gary, Ash, Dawn and Leaf all walked in to be met by one of the smartly dressed waiters there.

"Hey there, table for seven please" Drew quickly counted and told the man.

"Right away, follow me please" the waiter lead the way, followed by Leaf who stood as close as she could to Gary to try and get his attention. "Please take a seat and just wave when you're ready to order." The waiter led the group to a round table situated in the centre of the restaurant with a large red tablecloth covering it and shiny cutlery. "You know, we do have a place where pokemon can eat too" the waiter said.

"How about it then, Pikachu?" Pikachu jumped off his trainer's shoulder and ran across the table up to Piplup.

"Pika" Pikachu told Piplup.

"Piplup, do you wanna go too?" Piplup jumped out of Dawn's arms and stood beside Pikachu.

"Pip-lup!" Piplup grabbed Pikachu's arm and walked over to Max and his Phione.

"Say, Max, why don't you let your Phione go?" Brock suggested. "It would be great for it to get used to being around other pokemon."

Max hesitated. "I don't know" he said worriedly.

"Max, don't worry about it. Phione will be in good hands, not to mention if anything happens, you've got Piplup and Pikachu there to sort things out" Leaf stated.

Max didn't reply. He looked down at his Phione and its large captivating eyes and excited smile. "Sorry, Phione. Return" Max held out his pokeball and the red flash beamed Phione back to its pokeball. A disheartened Pikachu and Piplup turned back to the waiter.

"Very well then. Just wave when you're ready to order. Pikachu, Piplup, come with me" the waiter said, taking away Piplup and Pikachu. The group restrained themselves from glancing at Max and merely looked around the well-presented restaurant.

"So, Drew" Ash started, ending the silence that was previously present. "How did you find this place?" Ash said picking up his menu and scanning through it quickly. Drew froze in his seat.

**(Flashback)**

"Come on, Drew" Brianna said, pulling on his arm viciously. "I know an awesome place for us to eat. They say it's the best restaurant in the Kanto region" she excitedly exclaimed. The night's sparkling stars scattered the sky like a swarm of flies. The moon's spotlight dimmed slightly since Drew's talk with May just a few moments before. He looked back at the sea and the bench, only to see May's figure had disappeared. "Drew?" Brianna's tugging stopped and she faced him. "Drew, what is wrong with you?" she snapped ferociously.

"Brianna…" Drew sighed. "The thing is…you're-"

"Perfect? I know" she laughed and continued tugging him. "C'mon, we're here" Brianna pulled him into the restaurant where a waiter walked up to them.

"May I help you?" The uniform waiter asked politely.

"Yeah, I booked a table, can you show me it?" Brianna replied, not showing nearly as much etiquette.

"Very well. Follow me" Brianna tugged Drew towards the table that they had booked. "I'll back in a few minutes when you are ready to order." The waiter left two large menus on the table and walked off. Drew took his seat and looked at Brianna who appeared angry with him.

"Drew?" Brianna impatiently said.

"What?" Drew replied, oblivious to what Brianna was aiming for.

"You don't have to be so rude, Drew!" Brianna shouted, causing a few of the nearby tables to focus their eyes on the scene.

"Brianna, please!" Drew whispered in embarrassment. "What is it?"

"Ha, I thought you wouldn't know. Only a real gentleman would remember to pull a lady's chair out for them" she chuckled slightly. Drew only glared at her in surprise. "Well?" She shouted once more, attracting the attention of the nearby couples eating.

"There must really be something wrong with that guy over there."

"He must be a terrible boyfriend."

"It must really take a bad boyfriend to tick a girl off like that." Murmurs and whispers from the other tables caught the ears of Drew. He eventually rose from his seat, annoyed and embarrassed and slowly took out the chair for Brianna.

"Well it took you long enough" she snapped once more.

"Brianna…I've got something to say-"

"Oh my god! You're marrying me?" The sudden excited Brianna leapt over the table and onto Drew's lap.

"What? No, no, no! I'm still a kid, Brianna" Drew slowly pushed Brianna off his lap and she walked back to her seat.

"Oh well, we'll still be a happy couple until then" she squealed dramatically. She rested her head on in her hands and smiled dreamily at Drew.

"Yeah, about that…" Drew looked around for inspiration. "The thing is you're-"

"Beautiful? Yeah, thought so. Not like that May girl" she chuckled. It felt as if a sharp claw just dug into Drew's heart. His hand slipped into his pocket, where he felt May's ribbon.

"No, it's not that-"

"What? You don't think I'm pretty?" Brianna was close to bursting into tears.

"No, I mean…yes, no, no, yes… just let me finish!" Drew ordered. "Look, Brianna, we're-"

"A perfect couple? I knew it! I love you so much, Drewy!"

"We're through!" Drew shouted, completely wiping the smile off Brianna's face.

…

"What do you mean 'We're through'?" She unconsciously moved her hand to her mouth.

"I mean that you are an incompetent, little, self-centred brat! And I am ashamed to be seen with you!" Drew shouted, he rose from his seat, further attracting people's attention.

"Drew, you're scaring me…" she cowered slightly.

"Good! Never talk to me again" Drew stormed out of the restaurant, taking no notice into what people were murmuring. The door slammed shut and Brianna sat back down on her chair and burst into tears. She looked over to where Drew had left to see a small item on the floor. She quickly walked over to the item to see that it was a light blue ribbon.

"Oh, Drew. This must be one of yours" she said to herself, fiddling with the ribbon. She turned it over to see a small inscription on the back.

_Happy Birthday, Drew_

_For all the times in life_

_Yours, May X_

The blood boiled inside Brianna. She slipped the ribbon into her pocket and walked out. "May? May Maple?" Brianna continued to search the tiny ribbon for more inscriptions, but no such luck came to her. "Drew better have a good reason for losing May's ribbon…" she chuckled evilly.

**(End of Flashback)**

"Errm…Drew?" Six heads stared at Drew. Drew still hadn't noticed though. _May's ribbon…Brianna has it_, he urgently thought to himself.

"Sorry guys, I've gotta go" Drew quickly rose from his seat.

"What? So soon?" Gary asked him. "Why?"

"I can't tell you" he stormed out of the restaurant and into the streets where he flipped out his cell phone quickly. _Let's see…B…Brian…Brianna_. "She better not have lost that ribbon…" he pressed her name and a silent ringing noise arose from his cell phone.

"Hello?" It was definitely Brianna.

"Err…."Drew hesitated slightly.

"Drew, is that you?"

**End of chapter.**

**Leaf – Why not? Gary needs to make more of an impact in the story. Will it be Jasmine or Leaf? Or someone else? I honestly don't know myself. **

**Overall, I wasn't too pleased with this chapter. It's because I haven't updated in so long I had to make something up.**

**Furthermore, I am thinking of going on HIATUS or however it is spelt. For those who don't know, it means I am thinking of abandoning the fic temporarily. The reason for this is because to be really honest, I have lost a lot of interest in this fic – probably because I know what is going to happen to everyone, it's not such a surprise to me. But hey, I'll think about it. And thanks for taking the time to read this. Remember to review.**


	12. A Gliscor Situation

**Okay, HIATUS over. 12****th**** Chapter of TRT. Nothing really to say apart from thank you for the reviews and here's the chapter. As you remember, we left off with Drew talking to Brianna on the phone. Just one thing first, I may have spelt a few of the Pokémon names wrong.**

"Drew, is that you?" Her voice seemed to get more excited after every word that came out her mouth. Drew winced at her screeching voice, almost like chalk on a blackboard.

"Yeah, err…hi, Brianna," Drew finally replied with his palms started sweating under his nervousness. "Look, Briann-"

"You said you weren't going to talk to me again," Drew could tell she was smiling. Her somewhat taunting voice over the other side of the phone caused Drew to scowl. "What's with the sudden change?" She gasped. "Are we getting back together?" She excitedly asked quickly.

"No! Never, not in a million years!" Drew denied, trying his best not to imagine him and Brianna together.

"Oh, Drew, you're so cute when you lie!" she squealed, still oblivious to Drew's real feelings.

"Look, Brianna," Drew said, forgetting what Brianna just said. "Listen. I dropped…_my_ ribbon in the restaurant where we last spoke," he said. "I was just wondering if you still have it." Drew silently prayed that she would reply.

"Errm, one moment," Brianna happily said. The sounds of drawers being pulled and Brianna rummaging through her stuff could be heard from the other side of the phone. "Let's see…light blue ribbon?"

"Yes" Drew smiled, finally getting his hopes up. "Do you have it?"

"Yes, why would I lose anything of yours, Drew?" she said giggling. "I mean…if this really was yours…" Drew froze.

"W-what do you mean?" He asked, hoping that Brianna didn't find the inscription on the back.

"Well, I do have a blue ribbon," she started. "But it belongs to what's-her-face," Brianna rudely told him.

"May…" Drew quietly told himself.

"That's the one," Brianna said, able to hear what Drew said. "God, why would you even have one of her ribbons? You know that they don't mean anything, not to mention they're probably diseased," Brianna screeched, causing Drew's blood to boil with anger. "Oh and look. It's got a little message on the back, how cute," she said sarcastically. "Drew, I thought you were smart enough not to hang around with that Maple reject."

"Brianna! Can you just send me the ribbon?" Drew shouted impatiently after getting tired from Brianna's criticisms.

"Now why would I send it to you, Drew? Wouldn't it be nice if you and I saw each other in person? Or don't you want that useless ribbon back?" Brianna trapped Drew. He knew she was still smiling.

"Fine, but I'm-" Drew replied but was rudely interrupted.

"Great, I'll be right over. Bye, Drew, love you," she quickly hung up, not letting Drew finish his sentence.

"I'm not…there," Drew eventually pulled his phone away from his ear and stared at the ground. _Great, so I'm finally gonna have to see Brianna again, _he thought to himself rottenly. _If only she knew that I am actually at The Indigo Plateau instead._

**Back at the hotel…**

Misty exited her room with May still inside, resting after today's frightful ordeal. Misty herself also felt that sharp pain that May went through, jabbing into her heart. She was clueless on Kenny's next move; all that she did know was that it wasn't going to be good. Just as she closed the door, she looked up across the hallway to see Tracey leaving his room. The blood on his face was completely wiped off. Scratches and bruises on his legs, almost invisible, and his light green shirt was clean.

"Misty," he quietly said, looking at the girl from across the hallway. "It's 2:00pm, you wanna get some lunch," Tracey shyly said. He started walking towards Misty as Misty walked towards him. "Ash's battle is at 2:30."

"Tracey." She sighed, stopping in her footsteps when she was just a mere metre away from Tracey. She hesitated for a moment, finding the best words she could find to reply to Tracey with. "It's just that I…," she stopped herself, and looked up to Tracey's gentle welcoming smile. She smiled back and stepped forward, wrapping her arms around him, and resting the side of her face on her chest where she broke into tears.

"Misty, is something wrong?" Tracey asked, eventually hugging her back. Misty continued to hold on to him, not letting him go.

"I j-just wanted to say…I'm sorry," she sniffled. "I cannot begin to imagine how brave you are, to take all that from Kenny and still stand up to him. I'm sorry I didn't know before," Misty cried.

"You have no need to be sorry to me, Misty." Tracey tightened his grip on her, holding her closely to his heart, feeling her body shake. He felt his shirt get heavier as it continued to absorb Misty's tears like a sponge. Eventually, Misty moved her head from Tracey's shirt and looked up to him. The tears in Misty's eyes made the emerald shine shimmer beautifully.

"I just want you to know, Tracey, I'm not letting you out my sight," she giggled, despite the make-up on her face being smeared. She put her head against Tracey's chest again, and continued to hold him.

"Yeah, so anyway, how about we get some lunch before Ash's battle?" Tracey suggested, gently pushing her away. She wiped the remaining tears from her eye and faced Tracey.

"I'd like that," Misty replied happily. As she walked down the hallway with Tracey, her eye caught the grasp of a green haired woman walking by with a red sceptre placed in her hand. "Could that be…no way…Liza!" Misty shouted whilst waving her arm, trying to get Liza's attention. She turned around and walked towards the Cerulean Gym Leader.

"Hey, Misty, it's been a while," Liza said, walking up to her.

"Liza, wow, and you're right, it has been so long," Misty said, slightly surprised that Liza was there.

"You can say that again, Misty, how have you been?" Liza asked, throwing her sceptre from one hand to the other.

"I've been great! How are all the Charizards?"

"They're all fantastic," Liza replied to her cheerfully. She moved her eyes to her left, looking at Tracey and scanning him from head to toe. "Is this your boyfriend, Misty?"

"Oh, n-n-n-no," Tracey hastily replied to her, flailing his arms about before she could jump to any conclusions. "Oh, sorry, I haven't introduced myself, I'm Tracey," he held out an arm to Liza, to which she shook it firmly and quickly.

"Pleasure."

"So, I hear that you raise Charizard, is that right?" Tracey asked.

"Only the finest in the world," she boasted, placing her hands on her hips. "My very own Charla is here aswell," she went on to say.

"Does that mean you trained Ash's Charizard too?" Tracey's eyes brightened. His smile grew wider as he leaned in towards Liza.

"I sure well did," she boasted once more. "I'm telling you, that Charizard of his is one tough battling machine. I haven't raised a finer Charizard to date. With determination like that one, who knows how powerful it will be in battle-"

"Wait a minute, does that mean Ash is battling with Charizard today?" Misty asked excitedly.

"Right you are. He called me only a couple days ago, so I got here on Charla as fast as I could," she replied.

"I bet Harrison won't stand a chance against Ash now that he's got Charizard," Tracey noted.

**30 minutes later at Stadium A…**

"Welcome ladies and gentleman to the final battle of the 2nd round of The Rivalry Tournament!" The highly charismatic announcer's voice echoed across the stadium. A myriad of Pokémon trainers and fans alike jumped to their feet and cheered. The sound of the energetic crowd was ever so similar to that of an army of Beedrill guarding their nests. "As you may already know, only one of the trainers competing today will make it into the 3rd round, but which one will it be? First off, we have Harrison of Littleroot Town in the Hoenn region!"

The large steel gates opened automatically, and a tall trainer walked onto the battlefield. He looked a lot older than Ash. His height was a big giveaway, not to mention his strides seemed to be uniform, as if he had been walking across that stadium for years. Harrison wore a purple and pink t-shirt that suited him surprisingly well despite the contrast in colours. It was difficult to tell whether his golden brown hair was spiked or if it was just swayed back in the wind. Howls and screams arose from the excited crowd; no doubt the girls were ensnared by his teenage boy looks and his charismatic swagger to his battling position. "Thank you," Harrison waved both his arms in the air at the momentous crowd that cheered his name like a chorus. "Thank you, it's great to be here!" He announced once more, smiling excitedly. _Okay, Ash. Bring me everything you've got!_ He confidently thought, eyeing the other side of the battlefield.

"We love you, Harrison!" Fan girls proclaimed from the stands. Harrison merely smiled and waved at the anonymous fans cheering out his name wildly.

"Now, facing off against Harrison today is Ash of Pallet Town located right here in the Kanto region," the announcer roared out across the stadium. A large quarter of the crowd went into a frenzy of excitement, chanting the name of their fellow Kanto resident.

"Wow, it sure looks like my little boy has attracted quite a fan base," Delia said vivaciously, observing the vast majority of people rising to their feet and calling out Ash's name.

"Well, what else did you expect from one of the greatest trainers?" Professor Oak replied. To his left, sat Drew and no one else.

"Hmm, I wonder where everyone else is," Drew asked himself, mostly thinking about May.

"I'm sure they'll be here soon," Professor Oak replied to him. The crowd continued to scream and shout in ecstasy, waiting for the young trainer to appear from the other side of the battlefield. "But I really do wonder what is taking Ash so long," the old professor said impatiently.

"Can Ash Ketchum please report to the battlefield at once and take your place," the announcer calmed his tone and turned it into a more serious one. Murmurs and whispers arose from the crowd in shock. "Ash? Are you there?" A man quickly walked into the announcer's box and shook his head. "We are sorry about the short delay, folks, but it appears that Ash is not yet with us," the announcer's message was met with even more murmurs and the occasional boo from the more serious fans located within the crowd.

"Hmm, I wonder where Ash could be…" Professor Oak asked himself.

**Meanwhile…**

"Ash, how could you forget the time of your own battle?" Leaf penalised him. She ran along with Gary, Brock, Max, Dawn and Ash towards one of the smaller stadiums surrounding The Indigo Plateau.

"It's not my fault we're late" Ash denied, slowly heaving himself down the street after filling himself to the brink with noodles and vegetables.

"Typical of Ash forgetting his own battles," Gary taunted. "Next you'll be telling us that you forgot your own pokemon," Gary laughed. Ash quickly hovered his hand over the three pokeballs on his belt just to make sure.

"2:32pm," Dawn said looking at her poketch. "C'mon!" It wasn't long before they reached Stadium A and the site of Ash's second round battle. The group split up with Gary, Leaf, Brock and Max heading towards their seats and Dawn standing with Ash.

"Allright, Ash. Your battle against Harrison is just through there. Have you got your pokemon?" Dawn sat him down on the benches located just before the gate.

"Yep, all three of them," Ash said happily, quickly scanning his hand over the three pokeballs on his belt again.

"Yep, got it all. Pikachu, why don't you go with Dawn?" Pikachu jumped off his trainer's shoulder happily and onto Dawn's. "Okay, you're going down, Harrison," Ash confidently said to himself, psyching himself up.

"Good luck out there, Ash." Dawn smiled blissfully as Ash exited through the gate and entered the blindingly bright light that lead to the stadium.

"We apologise for that short delay, folks" the announcer reassured. The sea of anonymous fans jumped to their feet as Ash walked up to his position on the battlefield, opposite to Harrison.

"Hey, Ash," Harrison called out from the other side of the battlefield, staring confidently at his opponent. "What took you so long? I wanted to get you over and done with so I could get onto the full battles," he shouted tauntingly.

"Don't think it'll be that easy, Harrison," Ash smiled just as confidently, despite it being weird for Ash having a battle without his Pikachu by his side, cheering him on and supporting him.

"It's been a while since we last battled. I'm sure you remember the outcome," Harrison further taunted Ash from afar. "But to be fair, I would rather not have faced you at such an early stage in the tournament. A later stage, possibly the final would've been better for the both of us, but it doesn't matter, cause I'm still going to beat you, like last time," Harrison stood up straight and looked up into the crystal clear baby blue sky that hovered above him.

"I have a feeling that it'll be a lot different than last time, Harrison," Ash replied, continuing to smile confidently.

"Best of luck out there, Ash, and may the best trainer win," Harrison commented. A few metres above him in the stands, Dawn and the rest had just taken their seats.

"Sorry we're late," Gary apologised, taking his seat next to Drew. Drew quickly looked to his left and scanned the people approaching.

"Don't worry about it, not like anything has started," Drew folded his arms and slumped in his chair, sighing. "Where's May?" His thoughts immediately changed when he realised May wasn't present. "And where's Tracey and Misty for that matter…," he asked, looking over at the rest of his friends approaching their seats.

"Beats me. I think they're still at the hotel," Max said, watching the referee step onto the field.

"Well they better hurry up if they want to see Ash lose," Gary joked. Dawn, who sat next to Leaf, rose to her feet and slapped Gary at the back of the head.

"Owww! What was that for?" Gary exaggerated, holding the back of his head in pain.

"Just getting you warmed up for when Ash beats the crap out of you," Dawn cunningly replied with a smug expression on her face. Leaf quickly turned her head towards Dawn and gave her evils.

"Sorry we're late," Tracey ran down the steps with Misty and Liza following not far behind him. "We didn't miss anything did we?" He looked over at the battlefield to see the referee only just taking his place.

"Nothing has happened. It hasn't even started yet," Brock told him. His eyes darted to the side to see Liza taking her seat next to him. "Liza!" He quickly shouted, getting down on one knee within the space he had and holding Liza's hand. "Liza, it's been so long since my eyes have witnessed such fiery beauty, coupled with the unmistakeably fair looks of-"

"Yeah, and it's been so long since you've done something like that," Max said, yanking Brock's ear and dragging him away. An awkward silence followed short after.

"So you're Liza, right?" Dawn asked.

"One and only," she replied. "I train Charizards at the Characific Valley in the Johto region. I've even trained Ash's Charizard," she added.

"So you're the trainer behind the Ash's mighty Charizard," Gary said, slightly surprised. "Is it battling today?"

"You'll just have to find out," she winked, turning her attention to the battle in hand.

"Err…Misty," Drew sighed before looking over at the redhead. "Do you know where May is?" Misty froze for a moment, not wanting to tell Drew the real reason.

"Errm…she's not feeling very well. She says it could be something she ate or something like that," Misty improvised. She unconsciously looked over at Tracey, who gave her a friendly nod before turning his attention back to the battle in hand.

"This battle between Harrison of Littleroot Town and Ash of Pallet Town will begin momentarily. It will be a three-on-three battle with no time limits. Begin!" The crowd erupted into another frenzy with trainers jumping to their feet and cheering loudly and excitedly.

"Allright, Kecleon, let's go!" Harrison swiftly grabbed his first Pokéball and threw it high in the air. Within the intensely luminous flash of light, a small Pokémon stood before the crowd. A miniscule reptile-like creature with skin covered in tough olive-green scales, and a brilliant red zigzag stripe going across its stomach. A pair of bright yellow frills sat upon the Kecleon's head, twitching as the Pokémon observed its new surroundings, feeling the warmth of the battlefield and the colour of the dusty ground with its small, beady eyes, centred within two yellow rings.

"Kec-Keclon," Kecleon hissed, unwrapping its long skinny tail. The energetic crowd rose again to their feet and cheered for Harrison's Kecleon.

"A Kecleon, huh?" Ash reached into his back pocket and pulled out his Pokédex.

"_Kecleon, the Colour Swap Pokémon. Kecleon can freely change its body's colour. The zigzag pattern on its belly doesn't change, however_."

"Change its body colour, eh?" Ash quietly said to himself. "Hmm…"

"Ash better choose carefully. Kecleon is a normal type, so he should choose Heracross," Brock noted.

"Allright, Gliscor, I choose you!" Ash hurled his Pokéball across the battlefield. In an equally bright flash of light, a very large, bluish vampire bat-like Pokémon appeared. Gliscor heaved its heavy tail side to side, surrounding it in a cloud of dust. The two barbs on the end of its tail, equally as sharp as the heavy pincers at the end of its arms, glimmered and gleamed under the heat. He crossed his claw-like arms and smiled bravely, showing its sharp fangs and long tongue.

"Gli! Gliscor!" Ash's Gliscor said, waving its brutish arms around.

"Looks like it's going to be Ash's Gliscor against Harrison's Kecleon. With both Pokémon known for their incredible talents, this is sure to be one intense battle."

"Gliscor? What was he thinking?" Misty criticised, leaning forward in her seat, almost outraged at his decision. "If it was me down there, I would've chosen Heracross any day."

"Well, knowing Ash, he's got some sort of plan," Brock chuckled. "Maybe he's trying to counter speed with the ability to fly in the air," Brock wondered.

"It wouldn't be surprising. By having the sky on your side, Gliscor will be able to see everything on the battlefield," Liza noted, "and if he had used Heracross, he wouldn't be able to see as much."

"It has been decided that Harrison gets the first move. Begin!" The referee announced. The audience nudged themselves to the edge of their seats, trying to get a glimpse at the action.

"Kecleon, use your ability and hide!" Harrison called out. The green Pokémon dived towards a boulder and vanished in an instant, leaving the entire crowd gasping in awe. "Great job, Kecleon, now hold on for a minute," Harrison cheered on his Kecleon.

"What? Where did it go?" Ash asked himself, darting his eyes back and forth across the battlefield in an attempt to find Kecleon.

"Where did Kecleon go?" Dawn asked, also scanning the battlefield for anything that looked similar to a small green reptile.

"That's Kecleon's ability, Colour change. It can easily just blend with its surroundings on call," Drew replied to her. "But whenever it attacks, it cannot do so whilst using its ability. Surely Ash knew that," he said in a slightly disappointed way.

"Well, Ash did face Kecleon before, but even back then he could barely see it. Like the Pokédex says, Kecleon's entire body disappears except for the red zigzag marks on its belly," Misty informed them. "Look, over there," Misty quickly said, pointing her finger at one of the rocks on the battlefield, on it, a red zigzag. "That's definitely Kecleon over there!" Misty said.

"Ash, it's on the rocks!" Dawn shouted loudly from her seat. Her voice mysteriously echoed from her seat, right to where the battle was. Ash quickly looked to the rocks on the battlefield.

"Hmm, I still don't see anything apart from that red zigzag-." Ash stopped and looked up at Gliscor, still waiting for a command. "What did the Pokédex say again? The zigzag pattern on its belly doesn't chan-"

"Use Psybeam, Kecleon!" Kecleon quickly revealed itself. Ash's and Gliscor's eyes quickly focussed their attention on the green reptile that only just revealed its location. The zigzag stripe on Kecleon's belly glowed brightly before releasing a jolt of psychic power, shooting out of Kecleon in the form of a powerful multi-coloured beam. Gliscor froze in the air, startled by Kecleon's Psybeam. The powerful attack struck Gliscor right on its wing unexpectedly.

"Gliscor! Are you okay?" Gliscor struck the ground with a heavy thud, engulfing its entire body with the dust from the battlefield. "Gliscor!" The dust cleared momentarily after, and Gliscor quickly rose, balancing on its tail.

"Use Psybeam once more, Kecleon!" Harrison said.

"Kecle!" Kecleon shot out another beam using the might in its psychic arsenal. The beam shot like a thunderbolt towards Gliscor's tail.

"Gliscor, launch yourself into the air with your tail!" Ash commanded. As Kecleon's Psybeam came charging in, Gliscor launched itself into the air using its powerful tail, dodging the Psybeam attack from Kecleon.

"Grab Gliscor's tail using your tongue!" Kecleon's surprisingly extensive tongue whipped out of Kecleon's mouth and wrapped itself around Gliscor's tail. "Now, throw him to the ground, Kecleon!" Kecleon snapped its head back and threw Gliscor's heavy body to the ground with a dull crash. A large cloud of dust arose on impact, fully hiding Gliscor's body from his trainer and his opponent.

"It's beginning to look like Kecleon is having the upper hand against Ash's Gliscor," the announcer's voice echoed across the crowd like a voice in a canyon. "No doubt Kecleon's next to flawless speed and incredibly long tongue is the culprit in this onslaught."

"Gliscor really is taking a battering out there," Dawn sadly said, leaning forward and discretely praying to Ash. "It's almost as if Harrison wanted Gliscor to launch himself off the ground like that, only for Kecleon to then grab him."

"That's the way Harrison works. Ash really needs to get on the offensive," Brock added. "I still worry for Gliscor's wing, though. After being hit by such an attack, Gliscor didn't look like it was able to move so well."

"Gliscor! Get up!" Ash shouted.

"Gli-scooor," Gliscor rose to his feet, with the help of its pincers. A large crater, far larger than Gliscor himself, appeared at its feet.

"Ash," Harrison called from across the battlefield. "It looks your Gliscor has had quite an effect on the battlefield instead of my Kecleon, you sure you're fit to battle?" Harrison taunted, smiling proudly at his Kecleon.

"We're just fine, aren't we, Gliscor?" Ash stopped looking at Harrison and turned to his Gliscor, holding onto his wing so dearly. _Oh, man. Gliscor's wing…better play it safe_, Ash thought to himself. "Gliscor, return." Ash grabbed Gliscor's Pokéball, and a red beam of light returned the Fang Scorp Pokémon to his Pokéball. The crowd split into two halves, one half booing and the other half applauding Ash's decision.

"It was a good move from Ash to return Gliscor, Kecleon's tongue is too powerful," Tracey said.

"If you're going to change you're Pokémon, then I think we'll do the same," Harrison said, returning his Kecleon to his Pokéball. "And I think I'll bring out you. Go, Hypno!" Harrison hurled his Pokéball onto the battlefield. A yellow Pokémon appeared on the rocky battlefield immediately. A creature with ears of a jackal and a pair of large squinty eyes appeared before the audience. It had a natural scarf, made of nothing but snow white fur. In its left human-like hand, a metal pendulum swung back and forth.

"And it looks like Harrison has gone for Hypno, a Pokémon that should never be underestimated, especially with psychic powers as powerful as the ones it has. Now we wait the identity of Ash's second Pokémon..."

Ash froze for a moment before grabbing another Pokéball from his belt. "Heracross, I choose you!" A large beetle-like Pokémon with a single large pronged horn coming out of its forehead appeared dramatically on the battlefield. A pair of antennae with spherical tips coming out of Heracross's head sat next its elliptical eyes. Heracross waved his horn around to the crowd, demonstrating its incredible brawn. The crowd roared with excitement as Heracross took its position the battlefield.

"Hypno versus Heracross. Harrison's Hypno has gained the highest number of KO's on his team with a remarkable three, whilst this is Ash's Heracross's debut in The Rivalry Tournament. Even I can't predict this fierce battle between brains and brawns."

"Isn't Heracross weak to Psychic attacks?" Misty asked.

"Yes, but Hypno is weak to Bug-type moves. All Ash needs to do is get it right this time," Tracey replied. "If Ash makes just one slip-up, it's over."

"Heracross, Hyper Beam!" Ash shouted, pointing at his opponent's Hypno.

"Heracrouuu!" Heracross got on all fours, illuminating its horn and pointing it at Hypno. An orange ball of energy appeared in front of Heracross's mouth where it continued to grow as time went on. Eventually, Heracross fired a potent beam from the ball of energy right at Hypno.

"Steer it away using a Psychic attack," Harrison calmly told his Pokémon. Hypno calmly held its pendulum in front of him. Swinging from side to side, the Hyper Beam attack from Heracross diverted in the other direction to where Heracross aimed for, rendering it useless. "Now steer it right back at him, Hypno!" Hypno manoeuvred the orange beam of energy using its pendulum, right back towards Heracross.

"Hypnooo," Hypno droned.

"Block it, Heracross, like we practiced!" Heracross got on all fours again and shut its eyes tightly, bracing itself for Heracross's own Hyper Beam attack. The orange beam completely engulfed Ash's Heracross , with the immense heat from the potent attack radiating off Heracross and finding its way to Ash.

"Heracro!" Heracross cried, enduring the pain valiantly. Meanwhile, Ash and his friends watched his Pokémon suffer.

"Ash is in deep trouble," Brock sadly noted. "Harrison is using all of Ash's moves against him. It's not surprising that he won last time."

"But that was a long time ago," Dawn replied to him in a more upbeat tone. "You can do it, Ash!"

"Wow! Have you ever seen anything like that in your life! Hypno's incredible Psychic power has literally gained control of Heracross's Hyper Beam attack. Ash will really have to step it up if he's going to make it out of this one alive!" The announcer said excitedly.

"Heracross, are you okay?" Ash urgently asked. He restrained himself from walking onto the battlefield, and fell to his knees. "I know you can do it, Heracross…" Ash quietly said to himself, not expecting Heracross to hear him.

"Oh, and what has happened to Ash out there?" The announcer said, leaning forward in his seat to try and gain a closer look. "It looks like Ash has fell to his knees, does this mean he gives up?"

"No…no…you can do it, Ash!" Dawn encouraged loudly from her seat, her voice echoing around the stadium. Thousands of faces turned to her, looking at her confusedly. She blushed and slumped in her seat, still keeping a close eye on Ash and Heracross. Ash quickly looked up to the crowd. On one of the highest seats in the stadium, the bluenette smiled caringly at Ash.

"Hera-cro." Ash looked back at the battle in shock to see his Heracross waddling towards him bravely, still in pain, but still enduring it valiantly.

"You're right, Heracross!" Ash quickly rose to his feet. The crowd burst into a loud array of roars and cheers as Heracross walked back its place on the battlefield, standing just after the crater that Gliscor had created. "Allright, Heracross, use-." Ash's mouth sealed tightly, not letting a word out and allowing his eyes to watch the spectacle set before him. A thick dark-green ghostly aura surrounded Heracross's body like a flame. A strong smell of the forest emitted from the ghostly aura strangely.

"Heracrooouuu!" Heracross roared loudly, shattering the ghostly aura.

"That, ladies and gentleman, was Heracross's famous ability, Swarm. Only when a Pokémon is at the very edge of their endurance will this rare ability activate," The announcer jumped around in his box excitedly. "With its Bug-type moves powered to an almighty level, Hypno will sure have difficulty countering this nasty bug."

"Bug-type moves, eh?" Ash said, scratching his neck. "In that case, Heracross, use Megahorn! Full Power!" Ash commanded intrepidly. Heracross wildly charged towards Hypno at great haste with its horn illuminated in a flawless white light and Swarm activated.

"Heracroo!" Hercaross crashed its solid horn into Hypno's stomach, throwing Harrison's Pokémon right back. A large mark appeared on Hypno's belly where Heracross's horn made powerful contact.

"Hypno!" Harrison called out to his Pokémon. "Stay strong!"

"Quick, Heracross, follow up with a Horn Attack," Ash smiled cunningly. Heracross flew using its wings towards Hypno, horn first.

"Hypno!" Harrison cried out as he watched in despair Ash's Heracross's horn making contact with his Hypno again. "Get up, Hypno!" Harrison said, with Hypno still down and struggling to get up after taking so much pain.

"And now, the tables have turned and Hypno is on the defending end. I seriously doubt that it would hold up any longer, not with Heracross's Swarm ability activated."

"Come on, Hypno!" Hypno heaved itself to both its legs, still shaking uneasily and unstably.

"This is our chance, Heracross. Finish it off with Megahorn!" Ash boomed. Once again, he could literally taste the sheer sweetness of victory, sending his taste buds into ecstasy. Back with the action, Heracross's horn illuminated brightly again. The Pokémon then fiercely charged towards Hypno, also deluded by what has not yet happened.

"Looks like it's one-nil to Ash," Misty smiled.

"Don't be so sure," Drew replied to her. Just as he said that, Hypno clicked into place and stood up firmly.

"Hypnosis," Harrison quietly said to his Pokémon. Heracross was stopped in its tracks, only a few metres away from knocking Hypno out, by Hypno's uncanny pendulum swinging back and forth. Heracross fell to the ground with its eyes mystified by Hypno's pendulum, and fell asleep.

"Hera…Hera…Hera…," Heracross snored loudly.

"It looks like Hypno beats death once more with that Hypnosis attack by putting Heracross fast asleep. How will Ash counter this?" The announcer said, gaping at the battlefield from his box.

"Use Sleep Talk!" Heracross rose to its feet with its eyes still wide shut, then the Bug-type fell forward to its hands and knees before charging up a Hyper Beam attack.

"Hypno, Dream Eater!" Hypno ran forward, and a ghost-like shadow came out of its body. The eerie shadow floated towards Heracross, passing right through the Fighting-type, obliterating its conscience by shattering Heracross's dreams with Hypno's stupendous psychic power. The shadow continued to feed on Heracross's mental structure, crushing its insides, all within that split second.

"Heracross! No!" Ash shouted, watching Heracross fly back as Hypno's ghost returned back to its body.

"Heracross is unable to battle, Hypno is the winner," the referee called out, holding a flag towards Harrison. The crowd, half stunned by Hypno's dramatic attack, rose to their feet eventually and applauded Harrison's Hypno.

"And there we have it, folks. That Dream Eater attack is stronger than it looks, it is no surprise that Hypno is Harrison's leading KO-er," the announcer said into his microphone, watching Hypno regenerate its health.

"W-w-what just h-happened?" Misty shivered. "It was scary."

"That was Dream Eater. It only works on Pokémon that are fast asleep, but as Ash thought that he could use that to his advantage with Sleep Talk, Hypno was able to use Dream Eater to knock out Heracross and heal itself at the same time," Brock informed her.

"So now that Heracross it out of it, let's see what Pokémon is going to bring out next to take down this mighty Hypno."

Ash gritted his teeth, looking over at the yellow Pokémon from across the battlefield. _I don't want to have to use Charizard now…and Gliscor's wing may not be allright yet, and I'm certain that his last Pokémon is Blaziken so-_

"Ash," Harrison called out. "You can decide which Pokémon you are going to use all day, but you're never going to win this tournament," Harrison confidently said, smiling tauntingly at his opponent. "At least not before you beat me."

"We'll just see about that! Gliscor, I choose you!" Ash threw his Pokéball in the air. The thick surge of light morphed into the Fang Scorp Pokémon.

"Gliscor!" Gliscor called out, pushing down on his tail to gain the aerial advantage against Hypno.

"I think we'll start this one off. Hypno, Hypnosis again!" Harrison called out. Hypno ran forward and held its pendulum out to Gliscor.

"Gliscor, don't look!" Ash shouted. Gliscor quickly threw his claws towards his face where he secured them against his eyes, trying not to be fooled by Hypno's Hypnosis attack.

"Hmm, Hypno, use Psychic, but gain control of Gliscor's claws," said Harrison cleverly. A smile crept unconsciously to his face just as Hypno's eyes began to glow a ghostly blue. A haunting chime shook the stadium, and Gliscor's arms were enwrapped within Hypno's Psychic attack.

"Gliscor?" Gliscor looked at both of his claw-like arms, gazing at the unearthly aura and the sinister stench that the Psychic move emitted.

"You know what to do, Hypno!" Harrison grinned cunningly, pointing at the confused Gliscor. Hypno held up his right arm, a sudden jolt of Psychic power struck Gliscor's claws unexpectedly, throwing Gliscor's claws at himself. "Great job, Hypno! Keep it up!" Harrison encouraged.

"And it looks like Gliscor is attacking himself using his own claws, could that possibly be Hypno's momentous psychic power, or just the sudden will to give up?"

"Gliscor! Stop hitting yourself!" Ash shouted, looking up at his own Pokémon suffering to his own hands. "Gliscor!" Ash supplicated.

"Poor Ash, Gliscor doesn't seem to be able to control his own claws," Misty said, feeling sorry for her friend. "Harrison just seems to be using every one of Ash's moves against him. Ash will have to pull out something special to beat him."

"All hope is not lost, though. Psychic drains a lot of power from the Pokémon. It won't be long now until Hypno will get tired and be forced to let go," Liza replied to her.

"Gliscor! C'mon!" Hypno continued to throw Gliscor's claws at himself, each hit wearing down Gliscor's endurance.

"Send him crashing to the ground with Psychic, Hypno!" Hypno nodded and used Psychic again. The haunting aura trapped Gliscor's entire body, and Hypno slowly lifted up the heavy Pokémon above the ground. "The higher they get, the harder they fall, Ash." Harrison recited, placing an arm on his hip. "Now!" On call, Hypno lowered his arm, and Gliscor with it.

"Gliscoooorr!" Gliscor cried as the speed at which he plummeted to the ground increased.

"Gliscor! Break free, Gliscor!" Ash cried out loudly. Gliscor's arms shook violently, trying to break free. Just before Gliscor crashed into the ground, he swung his claws to the side, shattering Hypno's Psychic aura that had him ensnared within Hypno's shackles.

"Hypno?" Hypno's squinty eyes widened in shock just as the innumerable crowd jumped to their feet and blasted out a fearsome cheer for Gliscor.

"Allright, I've had just about enough of this. Gliscor, Stone Edge and aim for the sky. Gliscor's eyes began to glow a ghastly white, and a collection of sharpened stones orbited Gliscor. "Now!" On cue, Gliscor threw his claws in the air where the sharpened stone catapulted themselves, flying off into the sky where they were no long visible.

"What's Ash trying to do?" Drew asked.

"I don't know, but it is Ash we're talking here," Gary smirked, folding his arms critically. "I'm sure he's got some crazy idea going on."

"Gliscor, take Hypno down using X-Scissor!" Gliscor used the gentle breeze to his advantage, and he charged towards Hypno, enraged with his claw-like arms coated in a pale blue aura. He stormed towards Hypno, slicing his arms on Hypno's body with considerable force, throwing Hypno right back. "Now dodge the Stone Edge!" Ash smiled at his next to perfect timing. Gliscor backed away from Hypno just as the barrage of sharpened stones rained on the battlefield.

"Hyp!" Hypno!" Hypno cried as the stones crushed him. The rocks continued to fall from the sky, plummeting with great force on Hypno, who couldn't do anything in the shower of stones.

"Ash has timed that perfectly to make it seem as if it was raining rocks. Extraordinary!"

"Well well, Ash really did have a plan all along," Gary chuckled. "And a brilliant one at that." The last of the rocks fell directly on Hypno's head, knocking it out.

"Hypno is unable to battle, Gliscor is the winner!" The referee announced pointing a flag towards Ash. The crowd erupted into a loud cheer once more, congratulating Ash and his Gliscor.

"Ladies and gentleman that was the very first time in this competition that Hypno has been eliminated. Let's see who Harrison's next pokemon is," the announcer leaned forward in his chair, watching Ash's and Gliscor's overconfident smile.

"It breaks my heart to tell you this, Ash, but I think you know who's coming next…," Harrison returned his fallen Hypno and held out another Pokéball in front of Ash.

_Is that Blaziken_? Ash thought to himself, eyeing the Pokéball.

"Kecleon, you're up!" Harrison threw a Pokéball onto the field to reveal his green reptile-like Pokémon.

"Kec-Kecle."

"Be careful, Gliscor!" Gliscor winced slightly before calming himself.

"Glis-scoor!" Gliscor nodded, smashing its tail against the ground intimidatingly.

"We'll start this one off. Kecleon, Psybeam attack!" Harrison said. Kecleon shot out a ray of psychic power straight at Gliscor.

"Dodge it, Gliscor!" Gliscor propelled itself to the left of where the Psybeam attack hit.

"Grab Gliscor's tail again using Lick!" Kecleon unravelled his tongue and shot it out at Gliscor's tail.

"Gliscor, do a flip and use Fire Fang to grab Kecleon's tongue!" As Kecleon's tongue came charging in towards Gliscor's tail, Gliscor flipped itself round as commanded and chomped on Kecleon's tongue with its teeth wrapped in flames, not letting go.

"Kecleeeooon!" Kecleon screamed in pain as the sudden jolt of heat pulsated through his tongue and to his body. Tears flooded from his eyes in immense agony whilst Gliscor's flame infused teeth had themselves firmly secured on Kecleon's tongue.

"Wow, I can feel the pain from a mile away. Kecleon will have to do something quick to get out of this one!" The announcer flinched, only just able to watch the action on the battlefield.

"Kecleon, hang in there!" Harrison called out to his Pokémon in horror.

"What's wrong, Harrison? Gliscor got your tongue?" Ash taunted harshly, smiling uncontrollably. "Tighten your grip, Gliscor!" Gliscor obliged and a surge of fire came flowing from Gliscor's fangs and right through Kecleon's tongue, setting the green reptile-like Pokémon alight.

"Kecleon!" Kecleon cried out with its body wrapped in blazing flames. Gliscor released his fangs from Kecleon's tongue, and immediately after, Kecleon fell to the ground.

"Kecleon is unable to battle, Gliscor is the winner!" The referee announced to which the crowd replied with a standing ovation to Ash's Gliscor.

"As painful as it looked, it got the job done," Leaf noted. "Only one more to go, and Ash still hasn't brought out his last Pokémon."

"Return, Kecleon,"Harrison said, flashing a red beam at Kecleon which returned it to the sanctity of its Pokéball. "That was very brave of you." He chuckled slightly, grabbing his last Pokéball. "I hate to say this, Ash, but I really didn't expect that flip, but it doesn't matter now, because I've got this!" Harrison announced holding out his last Pokéball. "Blaziken, it's all up to you!" A Pokémon appeared on the battlefield in Kecleon's place. A tall figure entered the battlefield like a gladiator, showing off its sharpened claws by emitting a blaze of fire from its wrists.

"Blaaaaziken!" Blaziken roared, spitting out a charring Flamethrower attack. The crowd gasped in wonder as Gliscor looked at his trainer fearfully.

"Don't worry about Blaziken, Gliscor. I know you can do it!" Ash triumphantly encouraged his Pokémon. Gliscor turned back to the action, smiling in a relieved way.

"Harrison's got a Blaziken?" Drew said, slightly bewildered by his strange variety of Pokémon.

"Oh yeah, in fact, Blaziken was the one that knocked out Ash in the Silver Conference when we travelled in Johto," Brock informed him. "Ash may have the advantage with a Flying-type; but it's hard to predict what Harrison is going to do. It was tough then, but who knows what power it has now…"

"And Harrison has gone for Blaziken as his third and final Pokémon. With those incredibly powerful legs, it will be interesting to see what Ash does," the announcer proclaimed in anticipation.

"It doesn't matter what Pokémon he has, we're still gonna win, aren't we Gliscor?" Ash confidently told his Pokémon floating in the air.

"As you wish, Ash," Harrison replied. "Blaziken, use High Jump Kick on the ground!"

"Err…does Harrison know what he's doing?" Leaf asked.

Blaziken spun around and hammered its foot against the ground, sending a ton of rocks flying into the air above him. "Now, use Blaze Kick on the rocks, Blaziken!" Harrison called out. As the rocks came down, Blaziken leaned to the side and roundhouse kicked the rocks straight at Gliscor with an unimaginable force. As the rocks rocketed towards Gliscor, they slowly set ablaze under the immense heat.

"Gliscor, look out!" Ash urgently shouted. The blazing rocks crashed into Gliscor with such power, throwing him beyond battlefield and into concrete wall that separated them from the stands. The whole crowd grimaced as Ash ran out of his square to his fallen Pokémon

"Gliscor is unable to battle, Blaziken is the winner!" The referee announced. The entire crowd roared with applause, though some still shocked at Gliscor's departure from the battlefield.

"What was that?" Dawn said at the edge of her seat. "It was almost as if Blaziken used a Stone Edge attack using the rocks from the battlefield, except the rocks were on fire."

"Yeah, a little similar to what Paul did to Gliscor in the Sinnoh League, don't you think?" Brock asked, remembering how Paul told his Electivire to use Thunder on the battlefield, resulting in a similar effect.

"But this…did you see how powerful that Blaziken's legs were? I just hope Gliscor is okay," Dawn pleaded, feeling sorry for both Ash and his Pokémon.

"Gliscor, are you okay?" Ash asked to his fallen Pokémon, not responding. A mark on the wall in the shape of a vampire bat appeared where Gliscor made impact with it. "Return, you did a fantastic job and I'm proud of you," he said, turning back to the battlefield and he walked back to his square, glaring at Blaziken and his trainer, Harrison.

"It doesn't matter what Pokémon you bring out, Blaziken has got it sorted," Harrison said, "oh, and, Ash, you can thank your friend Paul for inspiring me with that move," Harrison added.

Ash scowled at him, gritting his teeth violently. "And just like Paul, I'm gonna beat you too! Charizard, I choose you!" Ash threw his Pokéball onto the field. Another thick surge of light morphed into Ash's old-time friend.

"Charrrararar!" Charizard roared, shooting out a scorching Flamethrower attack from its mouth. It smiled menacingly at its opponent, whom which it recognised, and took its place on the battlefield.

"Blaziken!"

"Charr!"

"What a finale we have here! Fighting for a place in the third round of The Rivalry Tournament, which trainer, Ash or Harrison, will emerge victorious in this last heated battle that pits fire against fire?"

**Just wait 'til we get to the 6 on 6 -.- I felt my battles have not been as good as they could be, and I am certain that I made a lot of mistakes there, but hey. Just a couple things, 1****st****, I know that Kecleon is in fact really really slow, but it is quick in the anime. 2****nd**** review please Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it.**


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